I'm working on an oracle archetype that a friend of mine is playtesting. It seems to be going well, but I feel like it needs a few tweaks before I can call it finished. The archetype grants an oracle a haunted deck of cards that's entwined with their fate.
View the archetype here or below:
Deck of Fate (Su)
At 1st level, a fate dealer gains a mysterious harrow deck known as the deck of fate, usually kept in an ornate pouch or other container depicting images related to the oracle’s mystery. A fate dealer wears and draws from the deck of fate as if it were a spell component pouch.
The deck of fate functions as a wizard’s arcane bonded item. A fate dealer does not need to hold the deck, but she must draw a card as if it were a focus spell component. If a fate dealer attempts to cast a spell without drawing a card from her deck of fate, she must succeed on a concentration check or lose the spell. The DC is equal to 20 plus the spell’s level.
The deck of fate begins each day with 54 cards. Any cards misplaced or destroyed magically regenerate into the deck’s designated container when the fate dealer regains her daily allotment of spells. The deck of fate is destroyed when all cards are lost or destroyed.
Curse of the Cards (Su)
At 1st level, a fate dealer’s destiny becomes so entwined with her deck of fate that she becomes dependent on communing with it on a daily basis, constantly paranoid if ever unable to divine a glimpse of the future. As an oracle’s curse, a fate dealer has the shaken condition. She may suppress this curse for 24 hours by performing several harrowings with her deck of fate for 1 hour.
At 5th level, the fate dealer gains Harrowed as a bonus feat. She may apply the bonus from the Harrowed feat on another creature’s roll instead of herself. The creature that benefits must have attended a harrowing performed by the fate dealer in the last 24 hours.
At 10th level, the fate dealer draws three cards when using the Harrowed feat. The bonus from the Harrowed feat increases to +4. No creature may benefit from a card more than once on the same d20 roll.
At 15th level, the fate dealer may draw five cards when using the Harrowed feat. No creature may benefit from a card more than once on the same d20 roll.
This replaces the fate dealer’s oracle curse.
Revelations
A fate dealer may select the following revelations in place of a mystery revelation.
Dealt Fate (Su): As a standard action, you may throw a card from the deck of fate at a living creature within 20 feet to unsettle their confidence in the future. On a successful ranged touch attack, the card adheres to the target, becoming shakened for a number of rounds equal to your oracle level. A creature can remove the card with a successful Strength check (DC 10 + Charisma modifier) as a standard action. Alternatively, you may throw the card as a weapon attack if you are capable of throwing it as a ranged weapon. The target takes weapon damage in addition to being subject of this ability. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Divine Strike (Ex): You gain Arcane Strike as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites. By imbuing the cards with Arcane Strike, you may use the deck of fate as a ranged weapon as if you had the Deadly Dealer feat.
Wisdom of the Cards (Su): A life of divining the future has made you keenly aware of the world around you and even influence fate itself. You may add your Charisma modifier instead of your Wisdom modifier on Wisdom-based skill checks. In addition, any d20 roll may count as Charisma-based when determining what rolls a bonus from the Harrowed feat applies to.
Bonus Spells
At 6th level, a fate dealer adds harrowing to her list of spells known. This replaces her mystery bonus spell at 6th level.
However, I feel like Dealt Fate needs a more interesting twist. Wisdom of the Cards seems very bland, and I would like something more interesting to do with the Harrowed fate. I'm considering replacing Wisdom of Cards with something that allows the oracle to substitute a bonus from the Harrowed feat with some other effect. Like granting an ally an AC bonus for one round if it's a Dexterity card.
No suggestions?
Out of curioustity, could the deck be the Deck of Many Things? I feel like that would be a lot of fun.