This is my first prestige class write up. I'm looking for critiques and possible balance issues aside from one class feature being an item that is easily lost/destroyed/stolen. (I will post a table shortly.)
ASPECT OF THE RAVEN QUEEN
One of the first things many people notice about the Aspects of the Raven Queen is that they are all female. The feminine prejudice is a mystery even to the Queen’s followers, who mostly speculate that it is her personal preference, though some of the more abrasive followers claim it is for the lack of finesse that drives a woman’s heart and soul that they are shunned. Whatever the reason, it is unheard of for males to become Aspects, though they do serve Her Ladyship in other, less auspicious ways.
The Dark Lady’s followers strive to bring about change in the world through promoting wisdom. Their primary function is to teach others to respect nature; however, the secret, but equally important secondary goal of all Aspects is to ensure that those destined to cross into the afterlife do so. Those who would cheat death must deal with the Raven Queen for robbing nature of its process, and Her Aspects make it so.
The path to becoming an Aspect is arduous, and Her Ladyship accepts only those with wisdom enough to understand Her calling. The Queen balances the light with dark, mercy with judgment, and life with death.
The Order of the Raven openly accepts blight druids, to some resentment, but none deny their effectiveness at the tasks given them, and none will ever decry their Queen’s judge of character.
Role: This prestige class is intended to add to the experience of a character in a home-made campaign setting and offers mostly flavor and few role defining abilities. An Aspect could be a harrier, a spy, a diplomat, or play a supportive combat role.
Alignment: The Dark Lady prefers her followers to remain as objective as possible and thus favors a truly neutral alignment, but as long as her followers alignments are neutral on one axis she is content to embrace the balance found in variety and individuality.
Hit Die: d8
REQUIREMENTS
Gender: Female
Skills: Fly +8, Stealth +8
Special: Wild Shape class feature, acolyte in the Order of the Raven.
CLASS SKILLS
The Aspect of the Raven Queen’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
CLASS FEATURES:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Aspect of the Raven Queen gains no weapon or armor proficiency.
Spells per Day: At the indicated levels, an Aspect of the Raven Queen gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if she is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an Aspect of the Raven Queen, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Wild Empathy (Ex): An Aspect of the Raven Queen can improve the attitude of an animal. See the druid class feature in the Core Rulebook. If the Aspect has wild empathy from another class, her levels stack for determining the bonus. At 1st level, the Aspect gains a +2 bonus to wild empathy checks made to influence crows and ravens, who never begin interaction with less than an indifferent attitude towards the aspect. At 5th level, crows and ravens are always treated as friendly, and at 10th level they are treated as helpful.
Dark Herald (Su): Crows and ravens in the local area (up to one mile per class level) share their senses with you allowing you to eavesdrop on countless locations at once. At 1st level, once per day per class level you may make a gather information check by spending a full minute focusing on the answers you are looking for.
Call of the Dark Lady (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, you may summon a swarm of ravens as a full round action as if casting summon swarm. The swarm lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level plus concentration.
High Priestess (Ex): At 5th level, an Aspect ascends to High Priestess where she takes a vow to relinquish her identity to the Queen. She is given a mask made of raven feathers and unearthly fabrics that grants her all the effects of a ring of feather falling as well as allowing her once per day to summon a giant raven for up to one hour (use giant eagle, Bestiary). The giant raven fights the Aspect’s enemies to the best of its ability and will even allow her to ride it as if it were trained. The Aspect takes no penalties for riding this giant raven without a saddle.
In addition to the mask, a High Priestess may call on the aid of any acolyte or Aspect of lower level within range of her dark herald ability, though the amount of time it takes for aid to reach her will vary. The acolyte or Aspect will provide aid in whatever form is appropriate and may refuse if doing so interferes with her own goals.
Flockfade (Su): At 7th level, an Aspect gains the ability to use wild shape to take the form of a swarm of ravens. This swarm may disperse as a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You may choose where and when the swarm reappears, but you must do so within a number of rounds equal to your 3+ your wisdom modifier. The distance cannot be greater than twice the swarm's speed times the number of rounds it was dispersed. Each round beyond the maximum deals you 1 Con damage until the swarm reconstitutes or you die. At 10th level you no longer take damage for being dispersed.
Spectral Wrath (Su): At 9th level, crow and raven swarms that you summon gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your charisma modifier and deal 1d4 constitution damage on a hit (Fort neg, DC 15+Charisma modifier). This replaces the blinding ability of the swarm. Creatures killed by the swarm’s constitution damage can only be brought back to life by means of a true resurrection spell.
Presence of the Queen (Su): At 10th level, while using the flockfade ability, you are immune to weapon damage and apply the spectral wrath ability in place of the blinding ability while shifted. You gain a bonus to your fly speed equal to 30 feet and increase your maneuverability to good while using flockfade. You also cease to age and can only die when The Dark Lady allows your spirit to depart (though you still suffer penalties for have 0 or fewer hit points).
EDIT: Progression Table
No thoughts, suggestions, criticisms...?
Looks cool!
I like it! Great flavor here. You could probably add a little to it and make it more powerful. Maybe give them a familiar/animal companion raven at 1st level. Perhaps flight, but the effect gives them a pair of raven's wings and lasts for 1 hour/class level?
I like it. My question comes from the mask part of the class. Is there a penalty if it's lost or stolen, and could someone else wear it?
I imagine that Her Ladyship would simply provide another. It's power comes from the divine connection to the Queen, so no one else could use it. I guess that could be reworded to make the magic in the mask innate for the class, but the mask just be fluff and RP.
I wanted to do a raven companion/familiar, but familiars are more of an arcane deal, and chances are they will either already have a companion or have opted out of one. I also figure that since any raven they interact with starts out as indifferent/friendly/helpful that they kinda didn't need one.
I should add Speak with Animals somewhere as an ability. At will? Always on, passively? Only with ravens/crows of course.
I wanted to do a raven companion/familiar, but familiars are more of an arcane deal, and chances are they will either already have a companion or have opted out of one. I also figure that since any raven they interact with starts out as indifferent/friendly/helpful that they kinda didn't need one.
I should add Speak with Animals somewhere as an ability. At will? Always on, passively? Only with ravens/crows of course.
This PrC is really cool :) In terms of familiars, if I were you I would have the levels stack with other class levels for purposes of animal companions and familiars, but only if they're ravens and only if the character already has one.
I love the raven-summoning and Flockfade abilities. Question, though: what are the stats for a swarm of ravens?
Finally, you might want to clarify that the immortality granted by Presence of the Queen also works when not in swarm form. As it reads now, it sounds like you're only immortal when you're shifted.
This PrC is really cool :) In terms of familiars, if I were you I would have the levels stack with other class levels for purposes of animal companions and familiars, but only if they're ravens and only if the character already has one.
I suppose one could use the hawk/eagle/owl stats for an animal companion and just call it a raven, but raven actually has stats under the familiar listing. Also, because it doesn't have its own entry as an animal companion, it lacks a balanced progression. A raven familiar is not really a substitute for an animal companion. In my opinion anyway. The Raven Queen chooses ravens for her imagery, but her followers aren't required to do the same. I'd rather not have to house rule a bunch of additional options in to core classes to make a homebrew PrC work. I think the Call of the Dark Lady fits this bill though, as well as getting the ability to summon the giant raven (there are actually stats for one of these in a 3.x book by WotC, but I'd rather just use the giant eagle and fluff it rather than convert one).
Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4), 2 talons (1d4); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6; Special Qualities low-light vision.
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6
AC 14
hp 3 (1d8–1)
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
Melee bite +4 (1d3–4)
Str 2, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 6
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +6, Perception +3
I love the raven-summoning and Flockfade abilities. Question, though: what are the stats for a swarm of ravens?
I took them from the Pact Magic section of the Tome of Magic (3.5, WotC). I have yet to convert them, but there's very little to be done, really. The entry says that they can be summoned with the Summon Swarm spell, along with bats, spiders, and centipedes.
Finally, you might want to clarify that the immortality granted by Presence of the Queen also works when not in swarm form. As it reads now, it sounds like you're only immortal when you're shifted.
Indeed. This should fix that...:
Presence of the Queen (Su): At 10th level, you cease to age and can only die when The Dark Lady allows your spirit to depart (though you still suffer penalties for have 0 or fewer hit points). Also, while using the flockfade ability, you are immune to weapon damage and apply the spectral wrath ability in place of the blinding ability while shifted. You gain a bonus to your fly speed equal to 30 feet and increase your maneuverability to good while using flockfade.
Also...
Call of the Dark Lady (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, you may summon a swarm of ravens as a full round action as if casting summon swarm. The swarm lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level plus concentration and may be used a number of times per day equal to your class level.
...and...
Her Royal Speaker (Ex): You may speak with ravens and crows as if under the speak with animals spell, though this ability functions even in an antimagic field. This is a passive ability and requires no action to use. This ability is gained at 6th level.
Thanks for the input everyone! You all are welcome to use the class, of course, and if you do, please let me know how it goes.