Today's a very exciting day for Interjection Games! Let's count the ways:
Deal of the Day
Strange Magic is the DriveThruRPG/RPGnow Deal of the Day! Starting at 11 AM (EST, GMT -5) on April 23rd and continuing for the next 24 hours, Strange Magic's PDF option will be 40% of, and all print options will be $10 off. If you've been considering picking up a hard copy, you should get it now before the printer's new paper goes into effect. I haven't been given a cost yet, but it sounds like the price will go up.
100 Releases!
Today's release, The Master of Forms Expanded - Shadow and Darkness, marks Interjection Games' 100th release, and our 8th consecutive weekly release. For those who missed it, the March and April releases are listed below.
Stay tuned for 25,000 words of glory with Ultimate Runesmithing next week, and the Ultimate Onmyodo Kickstarter will be launching in the next week or so.
March
Remedial Tinkering - Arcanotech
Strange Magic Unchained - Variant Multiclassing
Class Expansions: Onmyoji Archetypes
Strange Magic Expanded - The Elegist
April
Subterranean Races: Puddling Archetypes
Class Expansions: Apothecary Plaguewright Archetype
Strange Magic Items - Ethermagic
The Master of Forms Expanded - Shadow and Darkness
Big Book of Bloodlines in Print
The Big Book of Bloodlines has been approved for hardcover sale at OneBookShelf!
Content Preview
The following is taken from the vessel of darkness archetype in The Master of Forms Expanded.
Resident Observer (Ex): Starting at 8th level, the observer tucked away within the vessel of darkness begins to exert some very real influence over its host. Treat the observer as though it were an intelligent magic item, save that it cannot be dispelled, functions in an antimagic field, and is always considered to be equipped. All observers may telepathically communicate with their vessel, and are always privy to all sensory information collected by the vessel (this being the primary reason why observers get baryonic vessels in the first place). When first achieving 8th level, roll on the table below to determine the observer's primary mental ability score. The observer's mental ability scores are equal to 10 + 1/2 the vessel of darkness' class level, plus a +2 bonus for the primary mental ability score. Finally, the observer has five ranks in the Perception skill.
As the observer has a very specific goal in mind, the observation of the baryonic universe, it is incredibly protective of its vessel, to the point that it is considered to have "preservation of the vessel" as its intelligent item purpose. An observer will protest all unnecessary risks taken by the vessel, to the point that most any plan with a very real risk of failure will prompt a personality conflict between observer and vessel. Risky plans whose payout includes a chance for the observer to view something strange and novel tend not to trigger a personality conflict, as this is the one directive that trumps keeping the vessel alive. The Ego of the observer is equal to 8 + its vessel's character level. Unlike a normal intelligent magic item, failing a personality conflict against the observer results in the observer hijacking all voluntary bodily functions, including speech and locomotion, which it uses to get the vessel out of its sticky situation posthaste. While in control, the observer must work with the limitations of the meat it is piloting; as a result, each of the observer-hijacked vessel's mental ability scores are equal to the lesser of the ability scores between the two. Equipment and magical bonuses to mental ability scores only affect the vessel's ability scores, and never the observer's. (For example, if a vessel has 10 Intelligence, 10 Wisdom, and 18 Charisma, while the observer has 16 Intelligence, 18 Wisdom, and 16 Charisma, then the hijacked vessel's mental ability scores are 10, 10, and 16, respectively.) A hijacking observer only has access to its vessel's supernatural abilities, spells and spell-like abilities, feats, and skill ranks if the vessel allows access, and there is no way that the observer can force the vessel to use such abilities. Upon hijacking a vessel, the observer gains 1 temporary use of each of its spell-like abilities, if any. These temporary uses persist for the duration of the hijacking.
At 11th level, the observer gains the ability to cast a random 1st-level spell three times per day as a spell-like ability, using the vessel of darkness' class level as its caster level and its primary mental ability as its key ability. As an "intelligent item", the observer supplies the action required to cast any spell-like ability it knows, and can refuse to do so should casting simply be "enabling risky behavior" on the part of the vessel. Just like when the observer hijacks the vessel, there is no way by which the vessel can force the observer to cast. When the observer casts, the vessel of darkness must make a Will save against a DC of the observer's Ego score or be staggered for 1 round starting at the beginning of its next turn.
At 14th level, choose two additional skills in which the observer has no ranks. It gains five ranks in the chosen skills.
At 17th level, the observer gains the ability to cast a random 2nd-level spell twice times per day as a spell-like ability, using the vessel of darkness' class level as its caster level and its primary mental ability as its key ability.
At 20th level, the observer gains an additional 10 ranks in the skills chosen at 8th and 14th levels, for a total of 15 ranks. In addition, it gains the ability to cast a random 4th-level spell twice per day as a spell-like ability, using the vessel of darkness' class level as its caster level and its primary mental ability as its key ability. Finally, spell-like abilities cast by the observer no longer stagger the vessel.
Observer Mental Ability Score
d6
Roll Ability
1-2 Intelligence
3-4 Wisdom
5-6 Charisma
Note: Talk with your GM to see whether he wants to pick your observer's skills or whether he'll just let you pick. The same can be said for spells, if random spell generation seems distasteful. Given the fairly high power level of spells cast by a secondary creature, however, spell selection should never be left up to the player. It's the sort of thing that makes munchkins far too happy. But hey, if you're doing an epic power level game, go ahead and let him munchkin.
This ability replaces purity of body, diamond soul, and stance savant.