Costumed Celebrant (Medium)
Halloween was yesterday, but the party’s still ongoing here at Necromancers of the Northwest. When I think of Halloween and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, the medium springs immediately to mind, with its vague connection to the spirit world and its penchant for adopting various archetypal personas. I decided to add a little more Halloween flavor this year, with an archetype that dresses up in monstrous costumes to channel exciting new powers.
New Medium Archetype
Costumed Celebrant
Exploring the world between the macabre and the extravagant, costumed celebrants call upon the power of masks and costumes to invoke malign and monstrous entities, combining the abilities of these spirits with those gained by more traditional séances.
Ritual Mask (Su): At 3rd level, a costumed celebrant learns to craft special ritual masks and costumes that allow him to channel and tap into special powers. It takes a costumed celebrant 8 hours to craft a particular costume, and he must expend 250 gp in special materials to do so. Once a particular mask or costume is made, it can be reused indefinitely.
Once a costume is made, the costumed celebrant can wear it during a séance in order to infuse it with power, granting himself the lesser benefit associated with that particular type of costume for as long as he continues to channel the spirit he contacted with that séance, or until he removes the costume, whichever comes first. Additionally, if the costumed celebrant removes his costume while still channeling the spirit from the séance in which the costume was empowered, that spirit immediately gains 1 point of influence over the costumed celebrant.
There are six types of ritual masks. Although the ritual masks are empowered through the same séance in which spirits are summoned, the types of masks do not correspond to particular medium spirits, and any mask may be worn while channeling any spirit.
At 7th level, the costumed celebrant learns to craft improved versions of these ritual masks, which grant access to additional powers. These improved masks take 3 days’ worth of work each to craft, and require 2,500 gp in raw materials each. When used in a séance, these masks grant the costumed celebrant access to the improved benefit associated with that particular type of mask.
At 14th level, the costumed celebrant learns to craft greater versions of these ritual masks, which grant access to still more powers. These greater masks take 1 week’s worth of work each to craft, and require 10,000 gp in raw materials each. When used in a séance, these masks grant the costumed celebrant access to the greater benefit associated with that particular type of mask.
Six types of masks are listed below. GMs should feel free to create new masks with new sets of powers, and to work with players in doing so. However, any given costumed celebrant can only learn to use a total of six different types of masks. Once he has crafted six different kinds of masks, he may only ever create masks of those six types (including the improved and greater versions of those masks).
This ability replaces the haunt channeler, connection channel, and astral journey class features.
Manifest Haunt (Su): Beginning at 5th level, a costumed celebrant gains the ability to cause the spirit he is channeling to manifest itself into the world around him. As a standard action, he can allow the spirit to gain 1 point of influence over him in order to create a haunt in a location of his choosing within 60 feet. The costumed celebrant must have line of sight and line of effect to the location where the haunt will be located. The costumed celebrant may choose the type of haunt created, but it must be of a CR less than or equal to the costumed celebrant’s medium level. Once created, the haunt remains for 1 hour, or for 1 minute after it is triggered, whichever comes first.
This ability replaces the location channel class feature.
Trick or Treat (Su): Beginning at 13th level, a costumed celebrant gains the ability to compel generosity or fear in others. Three times per day, as a move action, the costumed celebrant can turn to a single creature within 30 feet and demand that that creature give him a gift or else suffer the consequences. The creature must either give the costumed celebrant a gift, or suffer a –2 penalty on attack rolls, AC, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for 1 hour. If the creature chooses to give the costumed celebrant a gift, it can either give the costumed celebrant an item it is holding, or it can procure a gift worth at least 100 gp per level the costumed celebrant possesses and provide that instead. The creature can take up to 10 minutes to procure the gift, if needed, but can take no actions other than those required to procure and hand over the gift until it has successfully done so, or else it suffers the penalty. Multiple instances of this penalty do not stack.
This ability replaces the ask the spirits class feature.
Masks
The following masks are prevented in alphabetical order. Unless otherwise noted, the DC for saving throws made to resist a mask ability is equal to 10 + 1/2 the costumed celebrant’s medium level + the costumed celebrant’s Charisma modifier.
Ghost
The mask of the ghost allows its wearer to frighten foes and interact in ghostly ways with objects.
Frightful Wail (Lesser, Su): Three times per day, as a standard action, you can unleash a terrifying moan of otherworldly anguish. Each creature within 60 feet that can hear you must succeed on a Will save or be shaken for 1 minute. Creatures that fail by 10 or more are frightened for 1 minute, instead. Creatures with at least 4 more Hit Dice than your medium level are immune to this ability.
Momentary Incorporeality (Improved, Su): Once per day, as an immediate action, you can cause yourself to become momentarily incorporeal. This incorporeal state lasts for only a second, enough to protect you from a single attack (granting you the benefits of being incorporeal against that attack), or to allow you to pass through up to 5 feet of solid matter as though you were incorporeal.
Poltergeist’s Knack (Greater, Sp): You gain the ability to telekinetically manipulate objects. You can cast telekinesis as a spell-like ability once per day. Your caster level for this effect is equal to your medium level.
Goblin
The mask of the goblin grants its wearer greater destructive capabilities.
Hooligan (Lesser, Su): You are especially adept at spreading destruction. Whenever you would deal damage with a thrown weapon, or deal damage to a non-creature object, add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt.
Ravenous (Improved, Su): You are particularly ravenous, allowing you to consume things more quickly, and gain more benefit from doing so. The action required for you to consume or imbibe things is reduced by one step (so something that would normally take a move action to consume can be consumed in a swift action, something that would normally take a standard action to consume can be consumed in a move action, and so on). If it would normally take more than 1 round to consume the object, it takes 1 round fewer to consume it. Additionally, whenever you imbibe a potion, elixir, or similar item, its effects last twice as long as normal.
Goblin Song (Greater, Su): You craft for yourself a special goblin song that emboldens your allies and frightens your enemies. This song functions as both the inspire courage and dirge of doom bardic performances, as though both were being performed simultaneously. You may use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 1/2 your medium level. Starting a goblin song is a standard action.
Pumpkin
The mask of the pumpkin provides elusive, yet undeniable benefits.
Eye Lights (Lesser, Su): You can cause eldritch light to beam from your eyes, illuminating a 60-foot cone in front of you. Activating or suppressing this ability is a move action, and you can use it for a total number of minutes per day equal to 3 + your medium level.
Vine-Friend (Improved, Su): You may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at your normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. You gain a +4 bonus on saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks made to avoid the effects of magical and supernatural undergrowth. Finally, you gain a +2 bonus to AC against the attacks of plant creatures.
Pumpkin Bomb (Greater, Su): You can create and throw special bombs that take the form of grinning jack-o-lanterns. These bombs function identically to those created by an alchemist. They deal 5d6 points of damage on a direct hit, half of which is acid damage and half of which is fire damage. Additionally, when the bomb explodes, it creates a cloud of smoke, as the spell fog cloud, in a 10-ft.-radius area, which persists for 1 minute. You can create and throw a total number of pumpkin bombs each day equal to 1/5 your medium level.
Skeleton
The mask of the skeleton gives its wearer the protection of the dead.
Dislocation (Lesser, Su): You gain a greater level of control over your bones, granting you superhuman flexibility. Three times per day, you can use this ability to gain one of the following benefits:
- As an immediate action, when you are the subject of a critical hit that deals bludgeoning damage, you can activate this ability to gain a 50% chance of negating the effects of the critical hit and treat it as a normal hit, instead.
- As a move action, you can grant yourself a +5 bonus on the next Escape Artist check you make in the next minute.
- As a standard action, you can grant yourself the compression universal monster ability for 1 minute.
Ally of the Dead (Improved, Su): Undead creatures are more positively disposed towards you. The starting attitude of undead creatures towards you is increased by one step, and mindless undead ignore you unless you take hostile actions against them, or they are specifically ordered to attack you.
One of Us (Greater, Su): Once per day, as a move action, you can become partially undead, granting yourself all the benefits and immunities of the undead type for 1 minute.
Thing From the Deep
The mask of the thing from the deep makes you more at home in dark depths.
Eyes of the Deep (Lesser, Su): Your eyes adjust to the blackness of the inky depths. You gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet, but only while underwater.
Water Breathing (Improved, Su): You adapt to aquatic environments, allowing you to breathe water as easily as air.
Deep Speech (Greater, Su): You gain the ability to communicate with aquatic life. You can communicate with any aquatic creature that speaks a language as though with the tongues spell, and can speak with other aquatic life forms as though with the spell speak with animals.
Vampire
The mask of the vampire grants you suave charm and dark powers.
Allure (Lesser, Sp): Three times per day, you can attempt to influence the minds of others with a dark, sensual charm. This functions as charm person, except that it lasts for only 1 hour, and can only affect creatures that would normally be attracted to creatures of your race and gender.
Draining Kiss (Improved, Su): Once per day, as a standard action, you can deliver a draining kiss to a living creature that is either willing or helpless, or which you are successfully grappling (creatures that are affected by your allure ability are generally willing to be kissed in this way). The creature suffers 1d4 points of Constitution damage, and you gain your choice of one of the following:
- You regain 1 hit point per Hit Dice.
- You heal up to 4 points of ability score damage.
- You regain a single expended spell slot of 2nd level or lower.
- Your spirit’s influence over you is reduced by 1.
Bat Form (Greater, Su): You gain the ability to transform into a bat, as though with the spell beast shape IV, for a total number of minutes per day equal to your medium level. These minutes need not be spent all at once, but must be spent in 1-minute increments.