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Still working out the kinks on this one, but I figured, "Hey, why not share some of the designing process with the Homebrew / Suggestion board?"
Critiques are welcome. Comments are DEMANDED. (Not that I could enforce that anyway. :-P)
If you haven't seen it or heard of us (Radiance House) before, check out all of our Pact Magic rules, available on the d20PFSRD.
Eldritch Jailor (Occultist)
Without rhyme or reason, strange and terrible things have always existed in the corridors between the planes. Completely primordial, these entities have been known to fell entire nations when released upon the material world, and as a reason the errant occultist who frees one by mistake must often dedicate their lives to acting as as a jailer to this horrifying entity.
Eidolon: An eldritch jailor gains the service of an eidolon, which functions exactly like the summoner class feature; see Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide. The eldritch jailer uses his occultist level –3 when adjucating the eidolon’s abilities, and the eidolon possesses share granted abilities instead of the share spells ability. The eidolon is housed within an extradimensional space within the summoner’s ritual totem (see below); this extradimensional space is treated as the eidolon’s home plane for all purposes. Only the eldritch jailor who bound the eidolon to the ritual totem can force it out of this extradimensional space.
Ritual Totem: A eldritch jailor possesses a ritual totem, which is an object of personal significance that weighs no more than 10 lbs. and can be held in one hand. An eldritch jailor’s ritual totem is pivotal in performing the ritual required to bind and command his or her eidolon.
In order to command an eidolon, an eldritch jailor must assert his or her commands over its mind. Doing so functions as handling an animal, as described under the Handle Animal skill except that an eldritch jailor makes Knowledge (planes) checks instead of Handle Animal checks. Instead of trying to teach tricks to an unwilling creature, an eldritch jailor spends one week “teaching” the ritual totem a desired trick through various rituals. A ritual totem can be taught a number of tricks equal to the eldritch jailor’s binder level + his or her Charisma modifier. After this week has finished, the eldritch jailor attempts a Knowledge (planes) check against the trick’s DC; success indicates that the eldritch jailor can now command the eidolon to use the desired trick while failure indicates that the eldritch jailor must start anew.
Unlike an animal companion, an eidolon never attempts to use its tricks willingly; the eldritch jailor must always command an eidolon by spending a move action (and by making a DC 10 Knowledge (planes) check) in order to command it to take any actions aside from free actions; it cares so little for its master that the eidolon will even refuse to defend itself. Because the ritual totem unwillingly commands the eidolon, the DC does not increase if the eidolon is damaged. If the totem ever gains the broken condition, however, the DC increases by 10 and if the ritual totem is destroyed, the eidolon cannot be controlled until a new totem is created by spending one week of time plus 200 gp per HD of the eidolon crafting a new one Depending on the condition of the ritual totem’s destruction, the eidolon may simply be unable to move or act, but in more terrifying situations the eidolon may become free to act as it will, an unkillable monster until it is contained once more.
Tunneled Lore: Select 1 constellation. The eldritch jailor is barred from this constellation and its allied constellations. The eldritch jailor cannot bar constellations with this ability that have been bared by other classes or that have been selected as an aligned constellation. An eldritch jailor cannot bar the Dark Beyond constellation.
I like the concept. Summoner level -3 hurts a bit, but I presume you won't be getting the eidolon right off the bat so you'll have some of the base Occultist tricks to get you through the early levels and support yourself alongside the weaker summon.
I'm of two minds about the last paragraph of Ritual Totem. On the one hand I get that the theme of the class is "unwilling monster bound under the service of an impromptu prison guard". On the other, I don't much like the idea of this thing being eternally bound to you and equally eternally at enmity with you; I'd like to see some evolution (no pun intended) of the mechanic for the eidolon prisoner and the occultist warden to come to terms with their alliance as they gain levels.
Just my 2cp.
I like the concept. Summoner level -3 hurts a bit, but I presume you won't be getting the eidolon right off the bat so you'll have some of the base Occultist tricks to get you through the early levels and support yourself alongside the weaker summon.
I'm of two minds about the last paragraph of Ritual Totem. On the one hand I get that the theme of the class is "unwilling monster bound under the service of an impromptu prison guard". On the other, I don't much like the idea of this thing being eternally bound to you and equally eternally at enmity with you; I'd like to see some evolution (no pun intended) of the mechanic for the eidolon prisoner and the occultist warden to come to terms with their alliance as they gain levels.
Just my 2cp.
Not receiving the eidolon until 4th level is actually an unintentional result of trying to curb the eidolon's power somewhat. I don't like mechanics where you pay for something long before you receive the reward, so that will be changed, probably to something like, "When determining the eidolon's evolution points, the eldritch jailer is treated as a summoner equal to his occultist level –3 (minimum 1).
In regards to the ritual totem, I can understand that the idea that you're not best buddies with your class feature might irk some players. To this, I offer the following. This is a class where you can make whatever the heck you like as your eidolon. You know how people don't like that you can effectively "summon" creatures that don't exist in the rules with the summoner class? Screw them, you're dealing with the Byways now. Mechanically, the eldritch jailor is controlling an outsider. Thematically, the eldritch jailor is basically imprisoning Cthulhu.
No matter how many years you imprison Cthulhu, Cthulhu is not going to be pleased with you should he ever escape.
Heh, in that light it makes a bit more sense. Like I said, I like the flavor. I'll have to see the mechanics in action - and the completed archetype - before I can say if the nuts and bolts add up to equal awesome.
Can the Totem be a Tattoo? Can it contain a nine tailed fox made of fire?
Even before the jailer can teach it any tricks, it might empower one power or group of bonus spells. For example, mirror images might be 5% real per level.
Can the Totem be a Tattoo? Can it contain a nine tailed fox made of fire?
Even before the jailer can teach it any tricks, it might empower one power or group of bonus spells. For example, mirror images might be 5% real per level.
@Naruto Reference:
Rules as written, technically it can't be. But if your GM goes with "totem breaking" as "you dying," then sure. Why the hell not?
I don't understand that last line though.
Naruto's shadow clones had their own chi, and could do damage. This was powered by the fox. As a pathfinder character, such power would have to be more gradual.
Naruto's shadow clones had their own chi, and could do damage. This was powered by the fox. As a pathfinder character, such power would have to be more gradual.
What I don't understand is the reference to spells. The occultist isn't a spellcasting class; its all pact magic, all the time. So there's no reason for the occultist's eidolon to have that power. This isn't a summoner archetype, after all.
Although some themes are there, this archetype wasn't designed with Naruto in mind.