Acolyte of the Skin
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Acolyte of the Skin
(Complete Arcane variant, p. 19)
Acolytes of the skin seek to gain power by replacing their skin with that of a demon's.
Requirements
Alignment: Any nongood
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 6 ranks
Spells or Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 5th.
Special: Must have made peaceful contact with a summoned evil outsider.
Special: Must undergo the Ritual of Bonding (see above).
Hit die
d8
Skill points
2 + Int
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Acolytes of the skin gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each even-numbered level, an acolyte of the skin gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on). If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an acolyte of the skin, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Wear Fiend (Su): An acolyte of the skin summons the essence of a fiend and wears it like a second skin. The bonded fiendish skin is for all intents and purposes the character's own. It increases the acolyte of the skin's natural armor bonus by 1 and grants a +2 inherent bonus to Dexterity. The acolyte also gains darkvision out to 60 feet. The DM determines the actual nature of the skin, be it demonic, devilish, or from some other fiendish creature.
Poison (Sp): An acolyte of the skin can use poison once per day as an 8th-level caster. The save DC is 14 + the acolyte's primary spellcasting ability modifier (Intelligence for wizards, Charisma for sorcerers and warlocks, Wisdom for clerics, and so forth). At 5th level, an acolyte can use this ability two times per day.
Flame Resistant (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, the fiendish skin binds more tightly, granting an acolyte resistance to fire 10.
Fiendish Glare (Su): From 3rd level on, an acolyte of the skin has the supernatural ability to unnerve opponents with a ferocious glare once per day. This is not a gaze attack, and the target need not meet the acolyte's eyes or even see the acolyte (although the acolyte must have line of effect to the target). Glaring is a standard action that affects any creature the acolyte can see within 100 feet. The target becomes shaken for 10 minutes, and must also attempt a Will save (DC 10 + acolyte's class level + Cha modifier) or be stunned. The duration of the stun effect depends on the target's hit points:
Skin Adaptation (Su): By 5th level, an acolyte's skin and its wearer have grown more comfortable together, as if they had never been separate. The increase to natural armor granted by the fiendish skin improves to +2, the acolyte gains a +2 inherent bonus to Constitution, and the acolyte's darkvision is effective out to 120 feet.
Cold Resistant (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, an acolyte has resistance to cold 10.
Glare of the Pit (Su): At 7th level and higher, an acolyte has the supernatural ability to produce fiery rays from his eyes. Once per day as a standard action, he can project two rays (one from each eye) with a range of 100 feet. Each ray requires a ranged touch attack to hit and deals 8d6 points of fire damage. The rays can be aimed at two different targets within range, but the target of each ray must be designated simultaneously.
Summon Fiend (Sp): At 9th level, an acolyte learns to draw on another power of his fiendish skin. If the skin is demonic, once per day he can summon a babau; if devilish, once per day he can summon a chain devil. The summoned creature does the acolyte's bidding, but it automatically returns whence it came after 1 hour. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it might have. An acolyte's caster level for this ability is equal to his spellcaster level.
Fiendish Symbiosis (Ex): At 10th level, the fiendish skin and acolyte become one, and only final death can separate them. The acolyte's type changes to outsider. Additionally, an acolyte of this level gains damage reduction 10/good. Unlike other outsiders, an acolyte can be raised or resurrected.
RITUAL OF BONDING
The Ritual of Bonding is a blasphemy that was long ago eradicated from most arcane libraries, but a few barely legible copies—or at least references thereto—survive along with promises of great power. Spellcasters who happen upon such documents can choose to destroy or ignore the find, but the temptation has already occurred. Those who give in can eventually stumble upon the complete ritual, usually through extended contact with one or more summoned fiends that are all too eager to share their terrible knowledge.
The Ritual of Bonding is painful and not to be undertaken lightly. The ritual requires 10 rounds from initiation to completion, and, once begun, nothing can halt its progress. The fiendish essence consumes the caster's own skin, an agonizing process that deals 1d4 points of damage in each round of the ritual—wise candidates keep some cure potions on hand. At the end of the rite, the acolyte's skin sports an oily, almost unnoticeable sheen. However, as he gains additional levels in the prestige class, his skin darkens, sprouts spikes, and gradually gives him a fiendish visage. The fiendish essence also begins to whisper foul secrets to its wearer, urging him to evil. (The wearer can accept or ignore this advice according to his temperament.)
Advancement
Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft
Alienist
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(Complete Arcane variant, p. 21)
Alienists deal with powers and entities from terrifyingly remote reaches of space and time. For them, magical power is the triumph of the mind over the rude boundaries of dimension, distance, and often, sanity. With knowledge and determination, they pierce the barrier at the edge of time itself. In the Far Realm, outside time, Herculean minds drift, absorbed in contemplations of madness. Unspeakable beings whisper terrifying secrets to those who dare communication. These secrets were not meant for mortals, but the alienist plunges into abysses of chaos and entropy that would blast a weaker mind. An alienist's mad certainty is sometimes strong enough to sway others to believe in her own future transcendence.
Alienists might, on rare occasions, gather in secluded groups to enact some obscure ritual, but more often they are encountered singly. NPC alienists sometimes haunt libraries or specialty bookshops in large cities, skulking and mumbling among stacks of rare (and dangerous) volumes.
Requirements
Alignment: any nonlawful
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks
Feats: Augment Summoning
Spells: Able to cast at least one summoning spell of 3rd level or higher.
Special: Must have made peaceful contact with an alienist or a pseudonatural creature.
Hit die
d4
Skill points
2 + Int
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Alienists gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level, an alienist gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on). If she had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an alienist, she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Familiar Abilities: Levels of alienist stack with levels of any class that provide access to a familiar. Add levels from this class and the class that granted access to the familiar together and refer to the table on page 53 of the Player's Handbook to determine the familiar's natural armor, Intelligence, and special abilities. If a character had levels in multiple classes that grant access to a familiar before becoming an alienist, she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining the abilities
of her familiar. This ability does not grant an alienist a familiar if she does not already have one.
Summon Alien: Whenever an alienist would use any summon monster spell to summon a celestial or fiendish creature, she instead summons a pseudonatural version of that creature. For example, by casting summon monster IV, she could summon a pseudonatural dire wolf. This adds the pseudonatural template (see page 160) to the summoned creature. An alienist gives up the ability to summon nonpseudonatural creatures with a summon monster spell. For instance, the alienist described above couldn't summon a mephit or howler with summon monster IV.
Alien Blessing (Ex): An alienist who attains 2nd level gains a +1 insight bonus on all saving throws, but she permanently loses 2 points of Wisdom.
Metamagic Secret: An alienist listens to the secret voices whispering from beyond time's end, and profits thereby. At 3rd and again at 7th level, she can choose any metamagic feat as a bonus feat.
Mad Certainty (Ex): At 4th level, an alienist's mad certainty in the power of entities beyond the reach of normal space and time lend her an unnatural fortitude, granting her an additional 3 hit points. However, constantly dwelling on such beings is mentally corrosive, and the alienist's mind begins to fracture. She now takes a —4 penalty on all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Handle Animal checks made to influence nonpseudonatural creatures.
Pseudonatural Familiar: Beginning at 5th level, an alienist's familiar, if any, gains the pseudonatural template (see page 160) in addition to the powers and abilities normal for a familiar of the appropriate level. This effect does not replace an existing familiar—the familiar has been slowly taking on pseudonatural aspects as the alienist rises in level, and those characteristics become fully functional at this point. From now on, the alienist's newly summoned familiars already possess the pseudonatural template. If an alienist has no familiar, this ability has no effect.
Extra Summoning: From 6th level on, an alienist gains one extra spell slot at her highest spell level. This slot can be used only for a summon monster spell. As an alienist becomes able to learn higher-level spells, the extra slot migrates up to the new highest level.
Insane Certainty (Ex): At 8th level, an alienist's mad certainty crystallizes into a truly chilling mania. She gains an additional 3 hit points, but her mental faculties continue to degrade. Her penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Handle Animal checks made to influence nonpseudonatural creatures increases to —10.
Timeless Body (Ex): At 9th level, an alienist learns the secret of perpetual youth. She no longer takes ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged (see Table 6—5, page 109 of the Player's handbook). Ability score bonuses from aging still accrue, and any penalties the alienist might have already taken remain in place. An alienist is stolen away by horrible entities when her time is up, and she is never seen again.
Alien Transcendence (Su): A 10th-level alienist, because of long association with alien entities and intense study of insane secrets, transcends her mortal form and becomes an alien creature. Her type changes to outsider. Additionally, she gains damage reduction 10/magic and resistance to acid 10 and electricity 10. Upon achieving alien transcendence, an alienist undergoes a minor physical change, usually growing a small tentacle or other strange feature, such as an extra appendage, organ, eye, or enigmatic lump. An alienist can hide this abnormality in a robe or hood, but the alien growth is not under the alienist's control and sometimes moves, twitches, opens, or otherwise animates of its own accord. This applies a —4 penalty on Disguise checks an alienist makes to conceal her true nature. Anyone who shares an alienist's predilection for study of the Far Realms immediately recognizes her transcendent nature, and she gains a +2 circumstance bonus on all Charisma- based skill checks and ability checks when interacting with such beings. She gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks involving any other creatures to whom she reveals her abnormal nature.
Advancement
Concentration, Gather Information, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history),
Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (nobility and royalty),
Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes),
Listen, Profession, Spellcraft, Spot
