Goblins with Class
Goblins. They’re small. They’re mean. They’re green. They’re also the subject of this week’s theme week, which is appropriately named “Goblin Week.” Before I jump into giving you new goblin-themed archetypes, though, I’d like to take a moment to introduce two new contributors to Necromancers of the Northwest: Joel Migas and Marie Barnes.
Actually, I’m not going to introduce them. I’ll let them introduce themselves. You see, tomorrow’s Extraordinary Feats is being written by Joel, and the next day’s Magic Market by Marie, so you can look forward to seeing them real soon.
In the meantime, let’s get down to what you came here for: archetypes.
New Rogue Archetype
Goblin Arsonist
It’s no secret that goblins love fire, and no goblin loves fire more than the goblin arsonist. These rogues give up the ability to deal precise and deadly strikes to instead be able to unleash terrible firestorms.
The following archetype is only available to goblins of the rogue class.
Bomb (Su): A goblin arsonist gains the bomb class feature of the alchemist class. This ability functions in all ways as the alchemist ability, except that the goblin arsonist uses his rogue level in place of his alchemist level.
This ability replaces the sneak attack class feature.
Discoveries: Whenever the goblin arsonist would gain a rogue talent, he may choose instead to gain an alchemist discovery. He can only gain alchemist discoveries that modify or affect the bomb class feature, and he must still meet any prerequisites for any discoveries he selects (except that he uses his rogue level instead of his alchemist level for any discoveries which require a minimum alchemist level).
This ability modifies the rogue talent class feature.
Fire Fiend (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, a goblin arsonist becomes more proficient at burning things. Whenever he deals fire damage to an object, that damage is not halved before applying hardness. Additionally, whenever the goblin arsonist deals fire damage to a creature or object, he deals 2 additional points of fire damage. At 6th level, and every three levels thereafter, this additional damage increases by 2.
At 9th level, whenever the goblin arsonist deals fire damage to an object, the object applies only half its hardness to the fire damage, instead of its full hardness.
At 15th level, whenever the goblin arsonist deals at least 1 point of fire damage to any unattended mundane inanimate object, it automatically catches fire, regardless of its material. Only objects made of stone, metal, or earth are immune to this ability.
This ability replaces the trap sense class feature.
Endless Arsenal (Ex): At 20th level, a goblin arsonist can use his bomb ability an unlimited number of times each day.
This ability replaces the master strike class feature.
New Witch Archetype
Goblin Witch
Goblin witches draw upon the same magic as normal witches, but do so in different ways, using their animal instinct and primitive superstition to power their magic, instead of raw intellect. Further, their superstitious beliefs about the magic of mundane things like fire and writing give them access to powers that most witches, who don’t believe in such things, could not accomplish.
The following archetype is only available to goblins of the witch class.
Hexes: Goblin witches use Wisdom, rather than Intelligence, to power their hexes. As a result, the saving throw DCs for her hexes are based on her Wisdom score, rather than her Intelligence score.
This ability otherwise functions as the witch class feature of the same name.
Spellcasting: Goblin witches use Wisdom, rather than Intelligence, to cast their spells. As such, the saving throw DCs of spells she casts, the minimum ability score she must have to cast spells of a given level, and bonus spell slots per day are all calculated using her Wisdom score, rather than her Intelligence score.
This ability otherwise functions as the witch class feature of the same name.
Curse of Better Burning (Sp): Beginning at 2nd level, a goblin witch can point her finger and speak mystic words to invoke a curse which makes the target more flammable. As a standard action, she may attempt to use this ability on a single target within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the goblin witch’s witch level + the goblin witch’s Wisdom modifier) or suffer the curse’s effect.
Those affected by the curse suffer a -2 penalty on saving throws made to resist any effect which deals fire damage or otherwise has the fire descriptor. If the target has immunity to fire, then the curse causes him to still suffer half of any fire damage he takes. If the target has resistance to fire, that resistance is halved (rounded down) for as long as the target is affected by the curse. Finally, any effect which deals fire damage to the target deals an additional point of fire damage per damage dice (so a fireball spell that would normally deal 6d6 fire damage would instead deal 6d6+6 fire damage). The curse can also be used to affect objects, in which case any fire damage that the targeted object would take is not halved before applying hardness, and it applies only half its hardness to any fire damage it takes for the curse’s duration (attended and magic items receive saving throws, as normal).
The goblin witch may use this ability at will, and the effect lasts indefinitely, but only one creature can be affected by her curse of better burning at any given time. If the goblin witch uses this ability on another creature, the first creature is no longer affected. This ability replaces the witch’s hex gained at 2nd level.
Curse of Written Words (Sp): Beginning at 14th level, the goblin witch can steal a creature’s soul by writing its name. In order to use this ability, the goblin witch must be within 60 feet of the creature whose soul she wishes to steal, and she must know that creature’s name (this need not be the creature’s “true” name, as long as it is a name to which they answer and recognize as their name, and is not an alias or something similar). As a full-round action, the goblin witch can write the name on a piece of paper, paint it on leather, etch it in wood, or otherwise record the creature’s name. When she does, the target must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the goblin witch’s witch level + the goblin witch’s Wisdom modifier) or have his soul trapped within the written representation of his name. If the target succeeds on his saving throw, he is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
If the target’s soul is trapped, he immediately gains the fatigued condition. This fatigue cannot be removed by normal rest, or even by magical means, and even a wish or miracle spell can only suppress the effect for 1 hour per caster level unless the target’s soul is restored. Further, each day, the target must succeed on a Will save (same DC) or take 1d2 points of Charisma damage. As with the fatigue, Charisma damage taken in this way cannot be recovered while the target’s soul remains trapped. Finally, if the target dies, he cannot be resurrected by any means while his soul remains trapped.
A trapped soul can be freed by destroying the written name that the goblin witch wrote. As a result, most goblin witches are very protective of their collections of names.
This ability replaces the witch’s hex gained at 14th level.