Ring Mystery (Oracle)
It’s Ring Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, but rather than give you an archetype about gem merchants or jewelry smiths, I’ve decided to get a bit more abstract and present an archetype that represents the symbolism of rings, more than the literal interpretation. And what better choice for something as symbolic and mystical as a magic ring than a new oracle mystery?
New Oracle Mystery
Rings
Rings are symbolic of all things circular, showing a cohesive whole with no beginning and no ending. There are many virtues that are symbolized by the ring: an indivisible bond, enduring and renewing cycles, and karmic returns, to name a few. Those who devote themselves to the mystery of the ring attempt to master its deceptive simplicity in a variety of ways.
Class Skills: An oracle with the ring mystery adds Appraise, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), and Perception to her list of class skills.
Bonus Spells: karmic blessingARG (2nd), aid (4th), sacred bondAPG (6th), terrible remorseUM (8th), life bubbleAPG (10th), word of recall (12th), circle of clarityUM (14th), orb of the voidUM (16th), gate (18th).
Revelations: An oracle with the rings mystery can choose from any of the following revelations.
Circular Thought (Ex): The oracle has mastered the art of thinking in circles. Whenever she fails a Will save or concentration check, she may choose to immediately reroll, using the new result. If she still fails after rerolling, she may not reroll again, and is also stunned for 1 round.
Forge Ring (Ex): The oracle gains the Forge Ring feat as a bonus feat, even if she doesn’t meet the prerequisites. Additionally, she is treated as though she had a number of ranks in Craft (jewelry) equal to her oracle level.
Gift Exchange (Su): The oracle can offer a gift to an intelligent creature within 30 feet as a full-round action. This gift can be any physical object in the oracle’s possession, which she must hold out for the creature with one or more hands. The creature must succeed on a Will save or be forced to take the gift, if able, and then offer a similar gift, boon, or service to the oracle, of roughly equal value. This exchange is a move action. Creatures in combat receive a +4 bonus on saving throws made to resist this ability. A creature that succeeds on its Will save is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Gift of Magic (Su): The oracle can imbue some of her magical power in another individual. By performing a ritual that takes 1 minute, she can choose a single spell of 2nd level or lower that she knows, expending an unused spell slot of that spell level, and grant a single touched creature the ability to cast that spell as a spell-like ability. If she does so, then once the creature expends the magic and casts the spell, some portion of the spell’s energy returns to the oracle, and the next time that she casts that spell, she treats her caster level as 2 higher than it actually is. Both the ability to cast the spell and this bonus fade the next time the oracle rests and regains spells, if they have not already been expended. At 14th level, the oracle can select spells of up to 3rd level, and at 17th level, she can select spells of up to 4th level. The oracle can use this ability three times per day. The oracle must be at least 11th level to select this ritual.
Karmic Curse (Su): The oracle can invoke the powers of karma to inflict swift punishment on those who inflict pain. As a standard action, she can lay this curse on a single creature within 60 feet. The next time that creature deals damage to another creature with an attack, spell, or ability, the cursed creature suffers damage equal to half the amount it inflicted. Affected creatures of Intelligence 3 or greater are intuitively aware of the nature of the curse. The curse ends after one minute if it has not already been expended. The oracle can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier.
Magic Circles (Su): The oracle can draw magic circles. To draw a circle, she must have chalk, salt, blood, powdered silver, or some other appropriate substance at hand (although she can press a magic circle into a softer surface such as dirt or clay). Drawing a circle takes 1 minute. Once completed, this circle functions as a permanent magic circle against any alignment of the oracle’s choosing. The circle remains until its form is physically broken (for example, if the lines are smeared or the salt is scattered). Only a living creature can break the circle; environmental effects can’t break it. The oracle can have only one circle created in this way at a time. If she creates a second circle, the first one loses all its magic powers. The oracle can use this ability three times per day. An oracle must be 7th level to select this revelation.
Reciprocal Healing (Su): Whenever the oracle casts a spell that causes another creature to heal hit points, she heals a number of hit points equal to 1/2 what the recipient of the spell healed. This occurs only once per spell, even if the spell heals the creature multiple times (such as if it grants fast healing), or if the spell has multiple targets.
Ring Bond (Su): The oracle can perform a special ceremony that bonds two rings together, granting the wearers of those rings special abilities. This ritual takes 1 hour to perform, and requires the expenditure of 2,000 gp in food and drink for a grand banquet. As long as both rings are worn by the two creatures that were wearing them at the time the ritual was performed, each of those creatures is affected as though they had cast status on the other creature. Additionally, once per day, when the two are next to each other and each wearing the rings affected by the ritual, one of those creatures, as an immediate action, can allow the other creature to reroll a single d20 roll that she just made.
Ringbearer (Su): The oracle is able to harness the power of more magic rings than most. She gains a third ring slot. At 11th level, she gains a 4th ring slot.
Shared Suffering (Su): The oracle can create a sympathetic link between herself and another living creature within 60 feet, causing any negative condition suffered by one to be felt by the other. This is a standard action, and the target is entitled to a Will save to resist the effect. Once bonded in this way, any negative conditions suffered by either the oracle or the target are suffered by both. The bond lasts for one hour or until either party dies. The oracle can use this ability three times per day.
Final Revelation: Upon reaching 20th level, the oracle becomes one with the circle of life. The first time that she dies each day, her body and all her worn and carried gear immediately decay into soil, and she begins to reincarnate, as the spell reincarnate, except that her equipment reforms on her new body, and the body reforms in a random location within 1d4 miles.