Hey all, I was wondering if I might pick your collective brains once again...
I have this idea for some setting specific vestiges for use with the binder class from tome of battle.
I want to create at least 3 vestiges but I have no experience of doing so.
The figures i had in mind from the eberron mythology are:
Taratai - the lost mother of the Kalashtar
Siberys - the dragon above
and
A Rakshasa Rajah
suggestions and advice would be appreciated, has anyone else tied this?
Ive started working on Taratai, but havent got very far:
this will be a 2nd level psionic vestige, and in the fullness of time i'd like to build a prestige class to go with this it (a sort of psionic equivalent of tenebrous apostate).
Taratai was the powerful quori spirit who led the spirits that would become kalashtar from Dal Quor to Adar. She set out the path of light. She and all those Kalashtar bonded to her were wiped out by the dreaming dark shortly after the rise of Riedra. What became of her spirit is unknown - except to binders.
Fuller details on Taratai appear in races of eberron.
Granted Abilities: - these are general ideas but im unsure of power, does a second level vestige need more? less?
Fugitive from the Darkness – dimension door psi-like ability
-The rebel quori spent a long time fleeing the dreaming dark through the realm of dreams.
Plea of Taratai – bonus to diplomacy / charisma
- Taratai persuaded the Adaran Monks to take in the rebel quori.
Psionic Boon – Extra Power points
-The monks who first bonded with the rebel quori developed psionic powers and Taratai was supposed to be the most powerful, but im not entirely sure how many power points would be appropriate.
should she grant access to a psionic power? which? any?
Thanks for the links, i did find the one about designing your own vestiges a while after i last post. I hadn't found the other one though so I shall certainly be looking through that! :-)
Ive followed your advice about making the bonus to diplomacy rather than to Cha and swapped the dimension door for the 1st level dimension hop power from complete psionic.
I've also added a couple of other abilities.
the granted abilities now look like this:
Granted Abilities:
Taratai was the most powerful of the spirits that fled from Dal Quor, as a vestige she grants you a portion of that power. She also grants her silvery tongue and the power to fight and flee from your enemies just as she did so long ago.
Vision of the Quori: While you are bound to Taratai, you can see normally in darkness and magical darkness out to 30 feet.
Taratai’s Appeal: While bound to Taratai you gain +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 equivalent binder levels you possess beyond 3rd level.
Psionic Smite: While you are bound to Taratai, you can attempt to smite a creature with a single melee attack. You must expend your psionic focus to use this ability. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per 2 effective binder levels. You must decide whether or not to use this ability prior to making an attack. If your attack misses, you still expend your psionic focus. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds
Psionic Boon: While you are bound to Taratai, you gain 7 power points when you bind Taratai. These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding.
Power Of Taratai: While you are bound to Taratai, you gain access to the psionic powers Dimension Hop, and Telempathic Projection for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each power as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. If you have the ability to manifest powers from another class your manifester level and binder levels stack for the purposes of using these powers.
do you think this is balanced for a 2nd level vestige? or still too powerful?
Thanks for the feedback,
In response to your suggestions I just thought i'd show my logic for the way i set out those powers.
First, make the extra damage from psionic smite equal to one point per binder level.
Given that the choice of victim with Psionic Smite is not restricted like the paladin's smite evil ability and it can be used in every encounter, I was a bit hesitant to make the psionic smite ability more powerful. I feared a binder would massively outshine a paladin of the same level.
Second, make dimension hop usable once every five rounds.
the uses of dimension hop are limited by the power points the binder has available, so limiting the frequency of use further seems a bit harsh. The thought was that the less inspiring psionic smite ability would balance the greater versatility of the psionic powers.
My other worry was whether the number of power points granted by psionic boon should scale with level: should the vestige grant a number of power points per binder level?
Here's the provisionally complete Vestige for Taratai.
Taratai, The Remembered Dream
Vestige level: 2
Binding DC: 16
Special Requirement: Yes
Legend:
the legend is based upon the information provided about Taratai and her flight from and eventual destruction by the dreaming dark as described in the Kalashtar section of Races of Eberron.
Special Requirement: the Taratai’s symbol must be scribed in area of bright illumination. Taratai will not appear to a binder within sight of any symbol of the path of inspiration including Riedran Monoliths
Manifestation: Taratai manifests as an attractive female of the binders race wearing a cowled robe of white light. Malevolent eyes fill the coiling shadows that shroud and distort the edges of her form, but none look back from her otherwise beautiful face, there is nothing but smooth flesh where her eyes should be. Her voice is calm and seductive but though her lips move the sound emanates from the darkness around her.
Sign: Your eyeballs turn black. Close examination reveals a total of 67 tiny points light scattered across the eyeballs.
Influence: while bound to Taratai you become overly protective. You seek to defend your friends and allies from all dangers, both physical and spiritual.
Granted Abilities: Taratai was the most powerful of the spirits that fled from Dal Quor, as a vestige she grants you a portion of that power. She also grants you her silver tongue and the power to fight and flee from your enemies just as she did so long ago.
Vision of the Quori: While you are bound to Taratai,
you see normally in darkness and magical darkness out to 30ft.
Taratai’s Appeal: While bound to Taratai you gain +2
bonus to Diplomacy checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 equivalent binder levels you possess beyond 3rd level.
Psionic Smite: While you are bound to Taratai, you
can attempt to smite a creature with a single melee attack. You must expend your psionic focus to use this ability. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per 2 effective binder levels. You must decide whether or not to use this ability prior to making an attack. If your attack misses, you still expend your psionic focus. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds
Psionic Boon: While you are bound to Taratai, you
gain 7 power points when you bind Taratai. These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding.
Power Of Taratai: While you are bound to Taratai,
you gain access to the psionic powers Dimension Hop, and Telempathic Projection for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each power as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. If you have the ability to manifest powers from another class your manifester level and binder levels stack for the purposes of using these powers.
I've also started working on a prestige class connected to this vestige which combines binder levels and a psionic class. It's race specific, but thats partially due to the nature of psionics in my campaign. The class is based on the Tenebrous Apostate.
Reminisentient of Taratai
Hit Die D8
BAB middle attack progression
Saves good will save
I plan it to be a 5 level class.
Skills (2+int modifier) bluff, concentration, craft, decipher script, diplomacy, gather information, knowledge (planes), knowledge (psionics), knowledge (religion), profession, psicraft and sense motive
Entry Requirements To qualify to become a Reminisentient of Taratai, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.
Race: Kalashtar
Alignment: any nonevil
Skills: knowledge (planes)+8, knowledge (psionics)+4, knowledge (religion)+4
Psionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers
Special: ability to bind Taratai
Special: must worship the Path of Light
Class Features The following are class features of the Reminisentient of Taratai prestige class.
Tribond Spirit: You no longer need to summon Taratai every day; you are bound to her constantly. You cannot choose a different vestige in her place. You can still attempt a binding check each day to negate her influence.
Permanently bonding with a third spirit is a traumatic experience and Kalashtar who do so tend to become somewhat eccentric.
Powers Known: At every level the character gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of Reminisentient to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly. If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became an Reminisentient, she must decide to which class she adds the new level of Reminisentient for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Smite the Darkness (Su): when you use the psionic smite ability granted by your bond with Taratai against an evil opponent you deal 1 point of damage per equivalent binder level.
Soul Binding: At each Reminisentient level beyond 1st, your soul binding ability improves as if you had also gained a level in the binder class. Your Reminisentient levels and binder levels stack for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of your vestige-granted abilities, your ability to bind higher-level vestiges, and the number of vestiges you can bind. You do not,however, gain any other benefit a binder would have gained.
Insuperable Mind (Su): at 2nd level you gain immunity to sleep, charm and fear effects.
im working on developing some additional abilites for the PrC, i'm worried the immunities it grants may be overpowered. suggestions would be appreciated.
Glad you like it :-)
If i scaled the power points i'd probably set it at 3 points per binder level. Therefore when the binder can first bind Taratai at 3rd level he gets 9 power points, then at 4th he gets 12, at 5th 15, etc.
you are right though that, while the addtition of 7 power points if the character is a multiclassed binder/psion is not too game breaking, scaling points will mean that they rapidly end up with ridiculous numbers of power points.
7 power points and access to the two powers means that the character has a number of uses of each per day which remain useful no matter the level.
I agree that the influence needs clarification.
I go with the idea that the binder would never abandon a disabled or trapped ally. I dont think theyd have a problem with leaving a dead one, but until the ally has died the binder would do his utmost to protect him, no matter the odds. This might be insufficiently inconvenient for an influence though. I think that ally is losely defined as a member of your party in terms of game mechanics. This should include cohorts, familiars etc.
The problem with trying to clarify the spiritual protection is that it does depend rather on the religion of the binder. A binder who worshipped pelor would have a very different idea of spiritual corruption to one that followed erythnul or hextor.
I showed the vestige to the player who will be running the character for whom I'm developing this stuff.
His comments are as follows, they are in capitals:
Granted Abilities: Taratai was the most powerful of the spirits that fled from Dal Quor, as a vestige she grants you a portion of that power. She also grants you her silver tongue and the power to fight and flee from your enemies just as she did so long ago.
Vision of the Quori: While you are bound to Taratai, you see normally in darkness and magical darkness out to 30ft. GOOD INTRODUCTORY ABILITY - ADDS FLAVOUR. LINKS THEMATICALLY WITH THE SIGN.
Taratai’s Appeal: While bound to Taratai you gain +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 equivalent binder levels you possess beyond 3rd level. WEAK - WHAT IF YOUR CLASS COMBINATION DOESN'T ALLOW GOOD DIPLOMACY? IN ORDER TO BENEFIT IT REQUIRES A LOT OF FOCUS ON DIP AND CHA, PLUS AT THE POINT YOU INVEST THAT IT WILL BEAT SOME ENCOUNTERS IN A SINGLE DIE ROLL WHILE BEING USELESS IN OTHERS.
Psionic Smite: While you are bound to Taratai, you can attempt to smite a creature with a single melee attack. You must expend your psionic focus to use this ability. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per 2 effective binder levels. You must decide whether or not to use this ability prior to making an attack. If your attack misses, you still expend your psionic focus. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. HAS THE SAME ISSUES AS ABOVE BUT REPLACING CHA DIP WITH BAB STR. ITS EQUIVALENT TO AROUND A 4th LEVEL MARTIAL MANOUVER FROM BOOK OF THE 9 SWORDS...
Psionic Boon: While you are bound to Taratai, you gain 7 power points when you bind Taratai. These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding. INSANE. THIS MORNING I SPENT TWO HOURS LOOKING AT THIS ABILITY. ITS WORTH A WHOLE LEVEL EASILY, TWO POSSIBLY. THINK ABOUT THIS AS GIVING THE PLAYER 3rd LEVEL ARCANE CASTING FOR FREE WITH NO DRAW BACKS OTHER THAN HAVING TO SPEND A FEAT PER SPELL PAST THE SECOND. IF YOU HAVE PSI ALREADY ITS VERY GOOD BUT NOT BROKEN.
Power Of Taratai: While you are bound to Taratai, you gain access to the psionic powers Dimension HopCP, and Telempathic Projection for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each power as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. If you have the ability to manifest powers from another class your manifester level and binder levels stack for the purposes of using these powers. INCLUDED ABOVE.
Vestige level: 2
Binding DC: 16
Special Requirement: Yes
comments?
Updated, more focused version of the granted abilities:
Vision of the Quori: While you are bound to Taratai, you see normally in darkness and magical darkness out to 30ft.
Taratai's Boon: While you are bound to Taratai you may expend your psionic focus to grant allies within 10' a move action.
*You may augment this ability by spending 1 power point to give allies within 10' a +2 morale bonus on their next attack roll.
*You may further augment this ability by spending an additional 1 power point to render the targets of those attacks flat footed for those attacks. In order to use the second augmentation you must also use the first.
If you choose to augment this ability using it requires a full round action.
Mindtouched: While you are bound to Taratai, you gain 7 power points. you gain an additional 1 power point for each effective binder level beyond 6th These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding.
You gain access to the psionic powers Dimension Hop, and Telempathic Projection for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each power as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. If you have the ability to manifest powers from another class your manifester level and binder levels stack for the purposes of using these powers.
Narrow mind: You gain the benefits of the Narrow Mind Psionic feat.
Strengthen mind: While you are bound to Taratai party members within 30' gain +4 morale bonus on saves vs Fear, Sleep and Mind Affecting effects. The bonus increases by +1 per 3 levels beyond 3rd. additionally those party members gain Protection from evil if the binder is good or protection from good if the binder is evil. iI the binder is neutral he chooses which benefit to grant at the time of binding. He may not change this affect until he binds Taratai anew.
Vestige Level: 2
Binding DC: 18
Special Requirement: Yes
what do you think?
Whoo boy, Vestige creation. Been a long time since I dove into this.
WEAK - WHAT IF YOUR CLASS COMBINATION DOESN'T ALLOW GOOD DIPLOMACY? IN ORDER TO BENEFIT IT REQUIRES A LOT OF FOCUS ON DIP AND CHA, PLUS AT THE POINT YOU INVEST THAT IT WILL BEAT SOME ENCOUNTERS IN A SINGLE DIE ROLL WHILE BEING USELESS IN OTHERS.
....
HAS THE SAME ISSUES AS ABOVE BUT REPLACING CHA DIP WITH BAB STR. ITS EQUIVALENT TO AROUND A 4th LEVEL MARTIAL MANOUVER FROM BOOK OF THE 9 SWORDS...
I think Lemon that your main complaints are an issue that can't be resolved. Not every Vestige is going to be useful to every Binder. A Binder with low Dex is never going to get much use out of Leraje. A Binder with low Strength is never going to get much use out of Andras. And so on and so on and so on. So saying "this is weak/bad because it requires a specific build to be viable" is irrelevant. Those whose build is useful for it will make use of it. Those whose build is not will likely not use the Vestige anyway.
Lawmonger mailed be earlier today about the widened circle against good/evil thing. I think simply removing that whole second function in Strengthen Mind is probably the cleanest design option; the ability is supposed to represent the pre-emptive protection from madness element of Taratai and it does that without the magic circle facet.
I agree with this. Stripping it down to the first two sentences puts it just a bit above the Paladin's aura minus the immunity that comes with it; the Paladin gets that ability at level 3, a Binder can use 2nd level Vestiges starting at 3rd (or 1st if they spend a feat, either of which is fine by me).
In terms of the power level of Taratai's Boon my personal opinion is that its situational enough that sometimes it will be fantastic but a lot of the time you would rather simply have a round and use your psi points and psi focus somewhere else. It appeals to the movement element of Taratai to me as well as the self sacrificing bit. A caveat is that I do tend to think abilities of this ilk are OK in general being high powered.
I agree the use is situational, but I think still some sort of potential limiter is needed here; there's no similar affect in the game that doesn't require either a saving throw (Fortitude or Will seems appropriate), or a ranged touch attack against the target especially at this low level. The save seems more appropriate to me.
Giving 7 psionic power points does seem powerful for a second level vestige.
Assuming the Binder does not get extra power points from a high ability score (which it does not state that it does, so I would assume not), it's actually a bit behind the curve. A 3rd level Psion has 11, as does a 3rd level Wilder and Ardent.
Those adjustments done I think you've a pretty solid 2nd level Vestige, if a bit on the higher end of the scale but not enough so to force it being bumped up to 3rd.
Ok, thanks for the input everyone! This is what I think the final granted abilities should be, unless anyone can spot any flaws?
Taratai's Granted Abilities:
Vision of the Quori: While you are bound to Taratai, you see normally in darkness and magical darkness out to 30ft.
Taratai's Boon: While you are bound to Taratai you may expend your psionic focus to grant allies within 15' a move action and a +2 sacred bonus on their next attack roll if the binder is good or neutral, or a +2 profane bonus on their next attack roll if the binder is evil.
*You may augment this ability by spending a 1 power point. Targets of your affected allies next attack must succeed a will save or be rendered flat footed for the purposes of the attack.
If you choose to augment this ability, using it requires a full round action.
Mindtouched: While you are bound to Taratai, you gain 7 power points. You gain an additional 1 power point for each effective binder level beyond 6th These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding.
You gain access to the psionic powers Dimension Hop, and Telempathic Projection for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each power as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. If you have the ability to manifest powers from another class your manifester level and binder levels stack for the purposes of using these powers.
Narrow mind: You gain the benefits of the Narrow Mind Psionic feat.
Strengthen mind: While you are bound to Taratai party members within 30' gain a +4 sacred bonus on saves vs Fear, Sleep and Mind Affecting effects if the binder is good or neutral, or a +4 profane bonus on saves vs Fear, Sleep and Mind Affecting effects if the binder is evil. The bonus increases by +1 per 3 levels beyond 3rd.
Vestige Level: 2
Binding DC: 18
Special Requirement: Yes
Ok, with the rebuilt vestige comes a new PrC, its obviously a work in progress, so suggestions will be gratefully recieved!
I am aware that the current name is a bit of a mouthful but i'm trying to combine the idea of remembering with psionics. The Idea is these guys are the holy warriors of the Path of Light and they remember Taratai by binding her.
The Reminisentient of Taratai
Entry Requirements: To qualify to become a Reminisentient of Taratai, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.
Race: Kalashtar
Alignment: any good
Skills: concentration+8, knowledge (planes)+2, knowledge (psionics)+2, knowledge (religion)+2
Psionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers
Special: ability to bind Taratai
Special: detect evil class feature or ability to cast detect evil as a divine spell.
Special: must worship the Path of Light
Hit Die D8
10 levels
3/4 BAB
Good Fort Saves
Full Manifesting.
Skills (2+int modifier) bluff, concentration, craft, decipher script, diplomacy, gather information, handle animal, heal, knowledge (planes), knowledge (psionics), knowledge (religion), profession, psicraft, ride and sense motive.
Class Features: The following are class features of the Reminisentient of Taratai prestige class.
1st level:
Powers Known: At each level of the prestige class, the character gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of Reminisentient to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly. If a character had more than one manifesting class before he became an Reminisentient, he must decide to which class he adds the new level of Reminisentient for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Tribond Spirit (Ex): You no longer need to summon Taratai every day; you are bound to her constantly. You cannot choose a different vestige in her place. You can still attempt a binding check each day to negate her influence.
At each level of the Reminisentient of Taratai class your bond with Taratai grows stronger.
Your Reminisentient levels and binder levels stack for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of the abilities granted by binding Taratai. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a binder would have gained.
Paladin Conversion: Permanently bonding with a third spirit is a traumatic experience and Kalashtar who do so tend to become somewhat eccentric.
If you were a paladin or ex-paladin before becoming a Reminisentient of Taratai, you can never again advance levels as a paladin, since your bond with Taratai makes you too erratic.
However, you retain (or regain) certain paladin abilities, including divine grace, lay on hands, divine health, and the ability to detect and smite evil
You lose your aura of courage. You cannot cast paladin spells or remove disease. You lose the service of your special mount.
Code of Conduct: A Reminisentient of Taratai must be of good alignment and loses all prestige class abilities if he ever willingly commits an act of evil. This includes all binding benefits, manifester levels, and special abilities granted by the Reminisentient class.
An Ex-Reminisentient retains the hit dice, base attack bonus and base saves granted by the prestige class but no other abilities.
Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a Reminisentient of Taratai may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. For example, a 9th-level Reminisentient of Taratai armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+9 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength or magical effects that normally apply. If the Reminisentient of Taratai accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day.
At 5th level, the Reminisentient of Taratai may smite evil twice per day, and at 9th level three times per day.
Your levels in the prestige class stack with any paladin levels you possess for the purposes of determining the power of your Smite Evil ability, and the number of times per day it can be used.
2nd level:
Insuperable Mind (Su): at 2nd level you gain immunity to sleep, charm and fear effects.
obviously I'd like to add some more class abilities but I don't want to overpower the class. Its requirement for 3 classes means it can be quite powerful though...
heres my full 10 level version of the PrC, it utilizes some ideas from LemonNlimE's but it's has it's differences...
The Yannatarah
The Yannatarah (which in Quor roughly translates as Light of Taratai), are errant champions of the Path of Light , psionic holy warriors who seek out darkness wherever it hides and eradicate it with power of their minds and the edge of their blades.
Entry Requirements: To qualify to become a Yannatarah, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.
Race: Kalashtar
Alignment: any good
Skills: concentration+8, knowledge (planes)+2, knowledge (psionics)+2, knowledge (religion)+2
Psionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers
Special: ability to bind Taratai
Special: detect evil class feature or ability to cast detect evil as a divine spell.
Special: must worship the Path of Light
Hit Die D10
10 levels
full BAB
good fort and will saves
full manifesting
Skills (2+int modifier): autohypnosis, bluff, concentration, craft, decipher script, diplomacy, gather information, handle animal, heal, knowledge (planes), knowledge (psionics), knowledge (religion), profession, psicraft, ride and sense motive.
Class Features: The following are class features of the Yannatarah prestige class.
Powers Known: At every level indicated on the table, the character gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of Yannatarah to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly. If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became an Yannatarah, she must decide to which class she adds the new level of Yannatarah for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Tribond Spirit (Ex): You no longer need to summon Taratai every day; you are bound to her constantly. You cannot choose a different vestige in her place. You can still attempt a binding check each day to negate her influence.
At each level of the Yannatarah class your bond with Taratai grows stronger.
Your Yannatarah levels and binder levels stack for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of the abilities granted by binding Taratai. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a binder would have gained.
Paladin Conversion: Permanently bonding with a third spirit is a traumatic experience and Kalashtar who do so tend to become somewhat eccentric.
If you were a paladin or ex-paladin before becoming a Yannatarah, you can never again advance levels as a paladin, since your bond with Taratai makes you too erratic.
However, you retain (or regain) certain paladin abilities, including divine grace, lay on hands, divine health, and the ability to detect and smite evil.
You cannot cast paladin spells or remove disease. You lose your aura of courage and the service of your special mount.
Code of Conduct: A Yannatarah must be of good alignment and loses all prestige class abilities if he ever willingly commits an act of evil. This includes all binding benefits, manifester levels, and special abilities granted by the Yannatarah class.
An Ex-Yannatarah retains the hit dice, base attack bonus and base saves granted by the prestige class but no other abilities. He may not progress any farther in levels as a Yannatarah. He regains his abilities and advancement potential if he atones for his violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.
Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a Yannatarah may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. For example, a 9th-level Yannatarah armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+9 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses for high Strength or magical effects that normally apply. If the Yannatarah accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day.
At 5th level, the Yannatarah may smite evil twice per day, and at 9th level three times per day.
Your levels in the prestige class stack with any paladin levels you possess for the purposes of determining the power of your Smite Evil ability, and the number of times per day it can be used.
Insuperable Mind (Ex): A Yannatarah of 2nd level or higher is immune to magical sleep effects, charms and fear effects.
At 5th level or higher is immune to all compulsion spells and effects.
At 8th level or higher is immune to magic jar, soul bind, trap the soul, a ghost’s malevolence ability, and all other spells or effects that displace or replace a character’s life force. The character can still travel to the planes via astral projection, if so desired.
Mettle (Ex): A Yannatarah of 3rd level or higher, can resist magical and unusual attacks with great will power or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Yannatarah does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Psionic Banishment: A Yannatarah of 6th level or higher adds psionic banishment to his list of powers known as a 6th level power. You must know at least one other power of the same level to use this power. If you already know psionic banishment, you can choose another power of the same level that is on your class power list.
One with the Light: A Yannatarah of 10th level becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider (native, psionic) rather than a humanoid for the purposes of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the Yannatarah gains damage reduction 10/evil and resistance to acid 5, cold 5, and fire 5
as ever comments welcomed.
Another New Vestige
This vestige is all that remains of an elven hero disintegrated by a giant's spell during the slave rebellion at the end of the age of giants.
The pile of dust poured onto the summoning symbol fountains up to form the figure of an elven warrior.
Valaen, The Wildrider - 1st level vestige
Binding DC: 17
Blades of the Vales Tairn: while bound to Valaen, you gain proficiency with the scimitar and Valenar double scimitar.
Ride by Attack: while bound to Valaen, you gain the benefits of the Ride by Attack feat.
Saddle Born: while bound to Valaen, you gain a +4 insight bonus on ride checks
Cavalry Skirmisher: while bound to Valaen, you may use the extra mobility granted by your mount to deal extra damage and improve your defensive capabilities. The binder deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all mounted melee attacks she makes during any round in which she moves at least 40 feet. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the binder’s turn. This extra damage increases by 1d6 for every four effective binder levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 5th, 3d6 at 9th, 4d6 at 13th, and 5d6 at 17th level).
The extra damage only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits are not vulnerable to the additional damage.
At 3rd level, you gain a +1 competence bonus to Armor Class during any round in which you ride at least 40 feet. The bonus applies as soon as the binder has ridden 40 feet, and lasts until the start of your next turn.
This bonus improves by +1 for every four effective binder levels beyond 3rd (+2 at 7th, +3 at 11th, +4 at 15th, and +5 at 19th level).
A binder loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor. If the binder gains the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack.
Swift Stallion: Upon binding with Valaen, a binder gains the service of an unusually swift, strong, and loyal steed.
This mount is a light warhorse (for a Medium binder) or a warpony (for a Small binder). Regardless of size the creature looks like a Valenar warhorse.
If the swift stallion is more than 30ft away at the end of the binders turn it crumbles to dust and blows away on an ethereal breeze.
As a full-round action, the binder may magically call her stallion from the nether realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the binder’s level.
The mount immediately appears adjacent to the binder and remains for 2 hours per effective binder level; it may be
dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned.
Each time the stallion is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a stallion is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the swift stallion die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The binder may not summon another stallion for 1 hour or until she binds Valaen anew, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this hour, the binder takes a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Effective______Bonus___Nat___Str/Dex
_Binder_______HD____Armour___Adj______Special
__Level_______Adj._________________________________________
1st – 2nd_______+0______+0______+0______Link, Share Saving Throws
3rd – 5th_______+1______+2______+1______Evasion, Improved Speed
6th – 8th_______+2______+4______+2______Improved Evasion
9th – 11th______+3______+6______+3______Improved Speed
12th – 14th_____+4______+8______+4______Trackless Step
15th – 16th_____+5______+10_____+5______Improved Speed
18th – 20th_____+6______+12_____+6______Free Movement
Bonus HD:- Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the spirit stallion’s base attack and base save bonuses. A swift stallion’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the spirit stallion’s HD. A swift stallion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The swift stallion gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj:- The number on the table is an improvement to the stallion’s base natural armor bonus.
Str/Dex Adj:- Add this figure to the stallion’s base Strength and Dexterity scores.
Link (Ex):- A binder can handle her swift stallion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The binder gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding the swift stallion.
Improved Evasion (Ex):- When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a swift stallion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Saving Throws:- For each of its saving throws, the swift stallion uses its own base save bonus or the binder’s, whichever is higher. The swift stallion applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex):- The swift stallion’s speed increases by 10 feet at each level shown on the table.
Trackless Step (Ex):- The swift stallion leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.
Free Movement (Ex):- The swift stallion receives the effect of a freedom of movement spell, except that it is always active. A swift stallion loses this benefit when wearing medium or heavy barding or when carrying a medium or heavy load.
what do you think?
thanks! :)