| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 25 Mar 2012 : 04:16:31
Just read the Masked Witches. It reminded me how a while back I felt that the Durthan class needed a redo like the Hathran had had for 3.5. My initial thoughts were to do just like the Hathran and no longer require both arcane and divine caster levels. However, the more I look at the class... I feel like it should have both. Its obviously nature oriented as a class, but the Durthans are also arcane casters as well. So, I adopted some of the ruling like was used with Ultimate magus, forcing the primary casting class to not always go up and allowing the secondary to go up at a slower rate. I took away the second telthor at 7th level (and moved the second resist cold from 6th lvl to 7th lvl), but I also increased the power of the telthor companion by allowing the levels in other classes to add to it (meaning the telthor will usually be 3 hit dice behind the caster instead of 6). In the end, for most builds (i.e. someone doing 3 levels of wizard and then say 3 levels of druid / cleric / or spirit shaman) at the end they'll have spent 16 levels on the class and be a 12th lvl in one casting class and 11th in the other. They can then make the choice of continuing gaining in their casting in both via something like mystic theurge, OR they may choose to only go up in one but also increase their telthor companion's hit dice by gaining levels in wizard, sorceror, or druid. Once they hit epic levels, theoretically, an epic version of the class could be followed that would continue their telthor's hit dice increases as well.... but since I don't believe there are many (any?) epic Durthans, the point may be moot.
I also added some skill requirements that shouldn't be hard to fulfill. It does however steer the durthan more toward the wizard side for arcane (though I do think wu-jen might work just as easy... sorceror becomes harder).
Durthan
Durthans are an order of evil spellcasters who tap into the darker spirits of Rashemen. They use their powers to punish their enemies and those who have offended the spirits. The durthans seek to wrest control of their homeland from the Witches of Rashemen and rule it with an iron hand, torturing secrets out of their enemies and using that knowledge to expand Rashemen’s power. Like those of the hathrans, durthans’ abilities are greater than other spellcasters of their level while they are within the borders of Rashemen.
All durthans are skilled in some form of arcane magic. Some come from the ranks of the hathrans, but most have always worked against the Witches. Durthans are covetous of power, even among other durthans, and share spells with others only if the recipient is useful to the greater cause. Like hathrans, durthans usually wear masks, if only to fool others into thinking they are Witches in good standing. Durthans work together, although they protect their identities behind masks. Outside their homes, the durthans assassinate or spy upon enemies, follow Rashemi women who might be turned to their cause, and work to recover Rashemi spells and magic items. Within Rashemen, they do all the former but also plot against the hathran hierarchy, send angry spirits to punish the careless, and manipulate the secular rulers. Individual durthans work on elements of these plans or pursue their own agendas, usually with the help of trusted minions and whatever spirits they have bound to their will.
Just as fallen paladins may “trade in” paladin levels for blackguard levels, hathrans who adopt the philosophy of the durthans may trade in hathran levels for durthan levels. Because most of these former hathrans no longer meet the requirements of the hathran prestige class (usually because of
alignment reasons), this change allows the new durthan to regain most of the abilities she would otherwise lose. Clever durthans use the possibility of this conversion to help sway potential hathran recruits to their cause.
Hit Die: d4.
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a durthan, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Gender: Female.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Feats: Improved Counterspell, Iron Will, any metamagic feat.
Spellcasting: Able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells and 2nd level divine spells.
Skills: Knowledge (nature) 3, Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (history) 3
Special: The character must qualify to select regional feats from Rashemen (Rashemen is her home region, or she has 2 ranks in Knowledge [local—Rashemen]).
CLASS SKILLS
The durthan’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Swim (Str), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
CLASS FEATURES
All the following are class features of the durthan prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Durthans gain no proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Spellcasting: At each level except 1st, 4th, and 7th, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in both an arcane casting class and a divine casting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained.
At 1st, 4th, and 7th level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in your arcane or divine spellcasting class with the lowest caster level (NOTE: for those with more than 2 casting classes, this could be a problem). For example, a 4th-level wizard/3rd lvl spirit shaman who gained one level of Durthan would gain increased spellcasting ability as if he had gained a level of spirit shaman (since that class's caster level is lower than her wizard caster level). If all your spellcasting classes have equal caster levels, you can apply this benefit to any of your existing spellcasting classes. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained.
A character who has converted hathran levels to durthan levels must re-allocate her caster levels accordingly. Because many hathrans were most likely primarily focused on either their arcane or divine spellcasting, switching to Durthan does require some "loss in their primary skill" as the former hathran learns to master their other form of spellcasting.
The durthans also have a short custom spell list. These spells are arcane spells and must be acquired as any other arcane spell. They use spell slots of the appropriate level in the durthan’s arcane spellcasting class.
DURTHAN SPELL LIST
3rd level—call lightning.
4th level—control winds.
5th level—commune with nature.
6th level—repel wood.
7th level—waterspout (FRCS).
8th level—whirlwind.
9th level—elemental swarm.
Place Magic: Durthans possess a special bond to the land of Rashemen that lets them draw upon the power of the spirits to cast spells without preparing them. When a hathran or durthan uses place magic, she can cast any arcane or divine spell known to her. (Spells on her hathran or durthan spell list can be cast as either arcane or divine spells, as she desires.) A place magic spell uses an unassigned spell slot of the appropriate type (arcane or divine) and level. If the caster does not have an open spell slot, she may spontaneously lose a prepared spell of the appropriate type and level to cast her place magic spell. Using place magic takes longer than casting a spell normally; any spell that takes 1 standard action to cast requires 1 full round to cast with place magic. Spells with casting times longer than 1 standard action simply add 1 round to the casting time.
Telthor Companion: Beginning at 3rd level, a durthan acquires a telthor (see the Telthor entry in Chapter 6: Monsters of the East) as a companion creature. The telthor must be an animal with the telthor template. This spirit creature is loyal to the durthan in the manner of a familiar or special mount. It has a supernatural bond to her rather than to a specific location, and it remains healthy as long as it stays within one mile of the durthan. The telthor has a number of Hit Dice up to the durthan’s class level (not her total character level, though some class abilities from other classes may stack); as the durthan gains levels, the telthor advances in Hit Dice as the base creature. If the Durthan was previously a wizard, sorceror, or druid, then the character may choose to add the levels from said class (but only from one class) to his levels of durthan, however the character loses the animal companion or familiar abilities of said class. If the Durthan has more than one class that would offer such (for instance, a druid / wizard), the durthan chooses which class to lose the ability from but retains the ability from the other class.
The durthan may dismiss her telthor at any time (normally in an area suitable for the telthor to live, for even the cruelest durthans respect the spirits of the land). If her telthor is dismissed or slain, the durthan may acquire another telthor after one month.
Cold Resistance (Ex): At 4th and 7th levels, a durthan becomes increasingly resistant to cold, gaining cold resistance in the amount listed on the table.
Cold Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, a durthan becomes completely immune to cold damage.
Utter Cold (Su): At 10th level, a durthan may call upon the primal cold of winter that annually blankets Rashemen to make her spells more difficult to resist. The save DC for any spell
she casts with the cold energy descriptor increases by +2. This increase is cumulative with those granted by the Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus feats.
THE DURTHAN
Class Base Fort Ref Will
Level Att Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Place magic, +1 lesser arcane or divine
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 arcane / +1 divine
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Telthor companion, +1 arcane / +1 divine
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Cold resist 5, +1 lesser arcane or divine
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 arcane / +1 divine
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 +1 arcane / +1 divine
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Cold resist 10, +1 lesser arcane or divine
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 arcane / +1 divine
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Cold immunity, +1 arcane / +1 divine
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Utter cold, +1 arcane / +1 divine |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dennis |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 16:32:09
The living durthans who might have survived the Witch War may join ranks with their undead sisters. Or I daresay should, in Richard's next book. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 25 Mar 2012 : 14:54:08
quote:
Originally posted by Darsson Spellmaker
I also agree that Durthans would do well as dual casters, but I think the fact that Improved Counterspell is a required feat, and their class features are sufficiently underwhelming that they can get away with advancing their dual spell progressions all the way on a one-to-one basis (rather than having certain levels only advance one spellcasting class). This would make the arcane hierophant and mystic theurge Prcs attractive to players of such durthans (both underused, IMO).
I think the Telthor should function similarly to the way the companion/familiar class feature does in the arcane hierophant.
Glad to see that someone is paying attention to the Durthans, they always seemed like a great idea (for both villains and pcs) but underused and seldom mentioned.
Thanks for the input. I hadn't thought about the arcane hierophant directly, but I knew somewhere there were some classes that continued to advance the familiar or the animal companion, so I rephrased some of what I did (see previous post). After seeing your response and then looking up arcane hierophant, it does dove-tail with this class very much. In fact, for someone that doesn't want the capstone abilities of this variation of the durthan class (the bonus to cold save DC's and the mastery of counterspelling), it could be viable that they get the prerequisites to enter this class, get say the first 3 or 4 levels, which raises their divine spellcasting enough to qualify for arcane hierophant, and then just follow that path. They'd still be a durthan, just a different "sect" of durthans.... and after all, its best if not all durthans are alike. And for those who want their durthan to be a priest or spirit shaman and not a druid, there's always mystic theurge later on as you point out. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 25 Mar 2012 : 14:45:13
You know how when you make something, you inevitably want to go back and tweak it. Yeah, after putting a few more minutes of thought into it, here's my revision. I felt like what I'd done with the not going full bore on both spellcasting's going up had really limited it. So, what I decided was that like the Ultimate magus, one of the classes only needed to be 1st lvl. I decided that class would be the divine side (I see these Durthans as wizards first who learn through this class to become more in tune with nature / the land over time). I then got rid of the whole "you can trade out hathran levels for durthan levels" thing. I felt that that was contrived and wanted these Durthans to be their own thing. If a Hathran becomes a durthan, they can earn their way in. In fact, theoretically a Hathran could also be a Durthan if they maintained their LN alignment, thus being a double agent (though if they get caught by the Hathrans they lose their class abilities from that Class).
I then took the idea of only leveling the lesser spellcasting class further and instead of 3 levels where that happens there are 4. The end result of this is that at 14th lvl for the most probable combo (wizard3/cleric1 or wizard3/druid1 or wizard3/spiritshaman1) the character is 10th lvl in both arcane and divine spellcasting. Comparing this to the mystic theurge, its actually losing 4 levels in each class instead of 3.... but since you can enter the class sooner, you could theoretically enter mystic theurge (or as Darrson just pointed out arcane hierophant). That made up for the fact that you didn't have to spend 3 levels in a divine class to gain entry.
I then thought about the fact that this makes the telthor companion closer in hit dice to the character level, so I just stripped the mechanics where you could add your level from wizard or druid. However, I then added a ruling that if you had a prestige class that would advance your familiar or animal companion, that the bonuses could instead apply to your telthor companion (which as I now read Darrson's response would make this go well with the arcane hieropant).
I then thought about the fact that the class requires improved counterspell. I decided the class should build on that more (maybe the Durthan's help protect the Rashemi people on the battlefield by simply stopping Thayan magic from happening). So, I dropped the cold immunity (they've got a good enough resistance for the most part). I then through in reactive counterspell as a free feat later on (just makes it so they don't have to declare that they will counterspell) and then through in the power from the archmage prestige class called mastery of counterspelling which turns a spell back on their caster. Given that to get that ability, they'll generally be 4 levels behind any "straight" spellcaster, they'll generally only be counterspelling lower level casters/spells, so its not overpowering for them, but it does give them a unique flavor.
Finally, I through in a list of commonly followed patron deities just to point out the fact that the Durthan are more divided in their loyalties, mainly because they DON'T share a given religion... though they do favor nature or vengeful deities.
I think that this does make the class more viable, it makes it interesting for a player, and it makes it something that might tempt young Rashemi into the life of a Durthan instead of that of a Hathran (especially if they aren't good or if they want to follow a deity that's not Mielikki or Chauntea).
Durthan
Durthans are an order of evil spellcasters who tap into the darker spirits of Rashemen. They use their powers to punish their enemies and those who have offended the spirits. The durthans seek to wrest control of their homeland from the Witches of Rashemen and rule it with an iron hand, torturing secrets out of their enemies and using that knowledge to expand Rashemen’s power. Like those of the hathrans, durthans’ abilities are greater than other spellcasters of their level while they are within the borders of Rashemen.
All durthans are skilled in some form of arcane magic. Some come from the ranks of the hathrans, but most have always worked against the Witches. Durthans are covetous of power, even among other durthans, and share spells with others only if the recipient is useful to the greater cause. Like hathrans, durthans usually wear masks, if only to fool others into thinking they are Witches in good standing. Durthans work together, although they protect their identities behind masks. Outside their homes, the durthans assassinate or spy upon enemies, follow Rashemi women who might be turned to their cause, and work to recover Rashemi spells and magic items. Within Rashemen, they do all the former but also plot against the hathran hierarchy, send angry spirits to punish the careless, and manipulate the secular rulers. Individual durthans work on elements of these plans or pursue their own agendas, usually with the help of trusted minions and whatever spirits they have bound to their will.
Hit Die: d4.
REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a durthan, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Gender: Female.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Feats: Improved Counterspell, Iron Will, any metamagic feat.
Spellcasting: Able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells and 1st level divine spells.
Skills: Knowledge (nature) 3, Knowledge (arcana) 4
Special: The character must qualify to select regional feats from Rashemen (Rashemen is her home region, or she has 2 ranks in Knowledge [local—Rashemen]).
Regarding divine patrons of the Durthans: Normally, the people of Rashemen hold the Three as the most High Deities (Chauntea, Miellikki, or Mystra). The Durthans have however come to respect some "outlander" deities. As a result, the vast number of deities served by the Durthans tends to cause some disparity amongst their ranks. Commonly worshipped deities by the Durthans are Mystra, Azuth, Savras, Selune, Auril, Akadi, Istishia, Grumbar, Talos, Malar, Beshaba, Mask, Hoar, Shar, and Loviatar. Kossuth, while a "nature" deity, is highly distrusted by the durthans due to his affinity to Thay. Velsharoon as well has trouble making inroads with the Durthans, due to his past history as a Thayan. Gargauth, being a former fiend, reminds the Durthans too much of the Nars of the past to draw their worship. While other patron deities are possible, they are less likely due to their general outlook.
CLASS SKILLS
The durthan’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Swim (Str), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
CLASS FEATURES
All the following are class features of the durthan prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Durthans gain no proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Spellcasting: At each level except 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in both an arcane casting class and a divine casting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained.
At 1st, 4th, and 7th level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in your arcane or divine spellcasting class with the lowest caster level (NOTE: for those with more than 2 casting classes, this could be a problem). For example, a 4th-level wizard/3rd lvl spirit shaman who gained one level of Durthan would gain increased spellcasting ability as if he had gained a level of spirit shaman (since that class's caster level is lower than her wizard caster level). If all your spellcasting classes have equal caster levels, you can apply this benefit to any of your existing spellcasting classes. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained.
The durthans also have a short custom spell list. These spells are arcane spells and must be acquired as any other arcane spell. They use spell slots of the appropriate level in the durthan’s arcane spellcasting class.
DURTHAN SPELL LIST
3rd level—call lightning.
4th level—control winds.
5th level—commune with nature.
6th level—repel wood.
7th level—waterspout (FRCS).
8th level—whirlwind.
9th level—elemental swarm.
Place Magic: Durthans possess a special bond to the land of Rashemen that lets them draw upon
the power of the spirits to cast spells without preparing them. When a hathran or durthan uses place magic, she can cast any arcane or divine spell known to her. (Spells on her hathran or durthan spell list can be cast as either arcane or divine spells, as she desires.) A place magic spell uses an unassigned spell slot of the appropriate type (arcane or divine) and level. If the caster does not have an open spell slot, she may spontaneously lose a prepared spell of the appropriate type and level to cast her place magic spell. Using place magic takes longer than casting a spell normally; any spell that takes 1 standard action to cast requires 1 full round to cast with place magic. Spells with casting times longer than 1 standard action simply add 1 round to the casting time.
Telthor Companion: Beginning at 3rd level, a durthan acquires a telthor (see the Telthor entry in Chapter 6: Monsters of the East) as a companion creature. The telthor must be an animal with the telthor template. This spirit creature is loyal to the durthan in the manner of a familiar or special
mount. It has a supernatural bond to her rather than to a specific location, and it remains healthy as long as it stays within one mile of the durthan. The telthor has a number of Hit Dice up to the durthan’s class level; as the durthan gains levels, the telthor advances in Hit Dice as the base creature. If the durthan ever advances in a prestige class which offers the ability to continue advancement of a familiar or an animal companion, the durthan may choose to instead apply this benefit to his Telthor Companion.
The durthan may dismiss her telthor at any time (normally in an area suitable for the telthor to live, for even the cruelest durthans respect the spirits of the land). If her telthor is dismissed or slain, the durthan may acquire another telthor after one month.
Cold Resistance (Ex): At 4th and 7th levels, a durthan becomes increasingly resistant to cold, gaining cold resistance in the amount listed on the table.
Reactive Counterspell: At 6th lvl, The durthan receives the reactive counterspell feat (Player's Guide to Faerun, P. 42)
Mastery of Counterspelling: At 9th level, When the durthan counterspells a spell, it is turned back upon the caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning (for example, if it is a spell that affects an area), then it is merely counterspelled.
Utter Cold (Su): At 10th level, a durthan may call upon the primal cold of winter that annually
blankets Rashemen to make her spells more difficult to resist. The save DC for any spell
she casts with the cold energy descriptor increases by +2. This increase is cumulative with those granted by the Spell Focus or Greater Spell Focus feats.
THE DURTHAN
Class Base Fort Ref Will
Level Att Save Save Save Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Place magic, +1 lesser arcane or divine
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 +1 arcane / +1 divine
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Telthor companion +1 lesser arcane or divine
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Cold resist 5,+1 arcane / +1 divine
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 +1 arcane / +1 divine
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Reactive Counterspell, +1 lesser arcane or divine
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Cold resist 10,+1 arcane / +1 divine
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 +1 arcane / +1 divine
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Mastery of Counterspelling, +1 lesser arcane or divine
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Utter cold, +1 arcane / +1 divine |
| Darsson Spellmaker |
Posted - 25 Mar 2012 : 07:00:28
I also agree that Durthans would do well as dual casters, but I think the fact that Improved Counterspell is a required feat, and their class features are sufficiently underwhelming that they can get away with advancing their dual spell progressions all the way on a one-to-one basis (rather than having certain levels only advance one spellcasting class). This would make the arcane hierophant and mystic theurge Prcs attractive to players of such durthans (both underused, IMO).
I think the Telthor should function similarly to the way the companion/familiar class feature does in the arcane hierophant.
Glad to see that someone is paying attention to the Durthans, they always seemed like a great idea (for both villains and pcs) but underused and seldom mentioned. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 25 Mar 2012 : 04:38:03
Oh, one other idea. For the Durthan that really wants to rely on that Telthor companion until he gets epic levels (and he figures out how to join the epic version of the Durthan class).... or even the one that just wants a more powerful companion for leveling.... at the cost of a feat. Somewhat similiar in power level to the leadership feat, except for all the class requirements to get it. Not fully developed below, but you get the idea.
Feat
Improved Durthan Telthor - if a durthan has levels in a class that would provide both a familiar and an animal companion, he may add the levels of both classes to the hit dice of the telthor but loses both the familiar and animal companion abilities. |
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