RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
I posted this idea in a thread someone started about what alternatives a cleric has to domains and their associated abilities. I came up with the following:
Ancestral Priest
Weapon and Armor proficiencies, saves, BAB, Hit Dice and Skill Points are the same as regular cleric. The Ancestral Priest adds Knowledge (History) to his class skill list and removes Knowledge (The Planes). This is a result of communing with worldly spirits as opposed to extraplanar beings. The Ancestral Priest does not have access to domains and thus gains no associated powers or spells from them.
Spells follow the same progression as the regular cleric with the exception of domain spells. As an Ancestral Priest does not gain access to domains, he does not gain the extra spell slot per spell level.
When the priest prays for spells each day, he calls upon the spirits of his ancestors for guidance and thus chooses an 'Aspect' of his ancestry for the day in place of domain spells. The ancestor is chosen from the following list and bestows the Aspect listed:
Wise Ancestor
This ancestor is patient and learned in all things. While under the Aspect of Wisdom, the cleric gains a +2 divine bonus on all Knowledge checks and may use Bardic Knowledge as a bard of his cleric level.
Warrior Ancestor
This ancestor is a powerful spirit of war. While under the Aspect of War, the cleric gains proficiency with all simple and martial weapons as well as a +1 on all attack and weapon damage rolls for each 4 cleric levels he possesses. While under this Aspect, his caster level is reduced by 2 (minimum 1).
Holy Ancestor
This ancestor was an ancient paragon of faith. While under the Aspect of Holyness, the cleric gains a +4 divine bonus on turning checks, and increases turning damage by 1d6. He also heals an additional 1 hit point per 4 cleric levels he possesses on any healing spell he casts.
Capricious Ancestor
This ancestor was a famous adventurer renowned for his courage and spirit. While under the Aspect of Adventure, the cleric gains a +2 divine bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, and Sense Motive checks. He also gains Evasion and Uncanny Dodge as a rogue of his cleric level.
Steadfast Ancestor
This ancestor was a powerful guardian of his people and was determined to protect them with his life. While under the Aspect of Defense, the cleric gains damage reduction 1/-, a +2 divine bonus on all saving throws, and adds 2 hit points per cleric level to his total.
Enlightened Ancestor
This ancestor was a powerful magic user. While under the Aspect of Enlightenment, the cleric gains a +4 divine bonus on Concentration and Spellcraft checks and casts all cleric spells at +2 caster levels.
New Feats for the Ancestral Priest:
Ancestral Recall
The character has a deeper understanding of his ancestry and learns to call upon other ancestors in a time of need.
Benefit: Once per day, a character with the ability to access ancestral aspects may call upon another ancestor for aid in a time of need. The player may choose any ancestor he has access to and may gain the benefits of that aspect for 1 minute in addition to the benefits he receives for the ancestor he chose at the beginning of the day. Activating this feat is a standard action that provokes attacks of opporunity.
Normal: A character may only benefit from one ancestral aspect per day.
Heroic Ancestry
The character may call out to his ancestor to imbue his spirit with heroic power.
Benefit: Once per day as a swift action, the priest may call upon his ancestral aspect to imbue its energy into himself. For 1 round per 2 caster levels, treat the priest's level as DOUBLE for the purposes of level-dependant benefits granted from his ancestral aspect. (For example, an 8th-level priest under the Aspect of War normally receives a +2 on attack and damage rolls. After activating this feat, the bonus would increase to +4 for 4 rounds.) If the character is benefiting from multiple aspects, he must choose the aspect to which this ability applies when he activates it.
Ancestral Avatar
Prerequisite: Ancestral Recall, ability to cast 3rd level divine spells
The priest learns to call upon the spirits of his ancestors to aid him directly.
Benefit: The priest may summon an ancestral spirit to aid him in physical form once per day as a spell-like ability of his own caster level. The avatar can be chosen from the list of ancestors and is summoned as a creature of the priest's race and alignment. The avatar is created equal to the priest's level -4 and its class is dependant on what ancestor it represents:
Wise Ancestor - bard
Warrior Ancestor - barbarian
Holy Ancestor - cleric
Capricious Ancestor - rogue
Steadfast Ancestor - fighter
Enlightened Ancestor - wizard
Ignore the alignment restrictions for the avatar and allow it to use all abilities granted by its class normally (if a LG priest calls upon the warrior, you will have a LG barbarian). The avatar remains for 1 round per caster level or until destroyed and will follow the priest's commands as any summoned creature would. The player is encouraged to maintain character sheets for his avatars to make deploying them in combat easier and also to define the personalities of his ancestors. The avatars should be made using the elite array of stats, adjusted for any racial bonuses or penalties.
|
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
This is a really cool idea.
Just to confirm, the aspect benefits last for 24 hrs, yes?
Also, you forgot the Prereuisites lines for the Ancestral Recall and Heroic Ancestry feats. Presumably, the prereq is the Ancestral Priest ability?
Yes, the aspect benefits last until the priest chooses a new one, actually. If, for whatever reason, the priest is prevented from sleeping/preparing spells/etc., his aspect remains until he chooses a new one (chosen when spells are gained).
And yes, I forgot to add the prerequisite line because I was just going on the idea that the 'Ancestral Priest' ability was a given. :P
|
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
Errata:
The benefits gained from the ancestral aspect are extraordinary and thus function normally inside areas of antimagic.
Additional Info:
Evil Ancestral Priests lose access to the 'Holy Ancestor' and instead gain access to the following:
Dark Ancestor
This ancestor was devoted to dark magics and sinister plots. While under the Aspect of Darkness the priest gains a +4 divine bonus on rebuke checks and +1d6 rebuking damage. Additionally, the priest's inflict spells deal an additional 1 damage per 4 priest levels.
Neutral Ancestral Priests have access to either the Holy Ancestor or the Dark Ancestor depending on whether they chose to turn or rebuke undead at character creation. This choice can not be altered once it is made.
At 6th level, Ancestral Priests gain a supernatural ability called 'Ancestral Guidance.' They may opt to bestow their Ancestral Aspect on any ally within 20 ft. for 1 round/level once per day plus an additional use per day per point of Charisma bonus. During this period, however, the priest loses the benefits of their aspect. The ability is dispellable, however, and the priest may end it as he could any other spell to regain his aspect at any time.
At 12th level, the Ancestral Priest gains an ability called 'Ancestral Aura.' This ability replaces Ancestral Guidance and instead affects ALL allies within 20 ft. for the same duration as listed above. The priest retains his aspect benefits while Ancestral Aura is active.
At 18th level, the Ancestral Priest gains 'Ancestral Reincarnation.' Once per year, if the priest is killed (either by a death effect or by being reduced to -10 hit points), he may remain as an ethereal spirit bound to his body for up to 1 day. The spirit is treated as either a deathless (if positive energy) or undead (if negative energy) and looks exactly like the priest did except for his ethereal form and has 1 hit point. He may observe the material world (with the usual limit on visibility) but he cannot move from the place where his body lies nor may he take any other action (and is thusly considered helpless) except activating the following ability: At any point during this time, he may affect himself with a reincarnation spell with the stipulation that he may only reincarnate as a creature in his ancestry. For half-elfs, half-orcs, and the like, this would include both sides of the half-breed's lineage. For most races, however, they will return as the same race they were before but usually with a different appearance (and possibly a different gender). Members of the character's family or clan may notice certain familial traits but will most likely not recognize him as who he was. All the usual restrictions of the reincarnate spell and all penalties associated with being raised still apply.
That's pretty neat. I'd use it, especially when playing in a campaign geared more towards Eastern mythos/traditons.