PrC: Mongrel Order Knights

[Itzhak Even]

A player of mine wanted a prestige class based around him being a half-elf. We play in a world where half-elves are frowned upon by humans, and hated by elves, though elves kinda dislike most races, and tend to be isolationist.
It took me a while to come up with this, and I think it's a decent PrC for 5 levels.

Figured I would post it for others to see.

Mongrel Order Knights

While Half-elves are accepted in many worlds, in some of them, they are considered unclean by both Humans and Elves, or, as is mostly the case, only by one of those races. Finding that they do not fit in with either race, they make their own way, and learn to harness their combined heritage into something unique, that they can call their own.
As the tales would have it, in elder times, when half-elves were scorned by both races, a twin set of half-elves was born. Cast out by their mother, who was raped in one of the many wars between humans and elves, they were adopted by a hermit, and raised, almost as slaves. When the boys were 15, the hermit died, and left without his guidance, they knew little on how to survive. One of them took up a sword that was on the mantle, and became quite adept at using it, while his sibling has found the hermit’s spellbook fascinating, and managed to unlock it’s secrets, becoming a wizard.
When they grew up more, and decided to explore the world, they learned how much hatred there was against them, as half-elves, from both Humans and Elves. Seeking to prove themselves, they stole into the lair of a minotaur, and while they killed it, a dragon swooped in and kidnapped the wizard brother.
The warrior tried to follow, but soon enough found himself in a vast labyrinth, where the monsters he faced proved more powerful than he could defeat. He retreated, and learned to forge new armaments for himself, as his old ones were destroyed fighting a rust monster. Going forth again, he managed to get further ahead, but was eventually stumped when the creatures he faced were immune to the enchantments laid upon his weapons.
Obsessed, he went again to forge new armaments, and have them enchanted with new enchantments, to overcome the foes in his path, only to make progress, and be stumped once more. And so it continued for several times, until finally, after a battle where his armaments once more proved to be not up to the task, he sank down, and whispered a prayer to the god of change. He then received a vision, and following it, he did a ritual, and found his armaments were equipped with new enchantments, ones that would allow him to overcome the current foes.
Armed with this knowledge, he managed to go through the labyrinth, using the ritual when needed to change the enchantments to overcome obstacles. When finally, he faced the dragon that stole his brother, and slay it, only to find his brother has already perished.
In memory of the lessons he has learned, he forged the Mongrel Order, where warriors learn to forge magical armaments that can change enchantments, becoming as close to them as family.

Class Details
A Mongrel Order Knight forges a bond with weapons and armor, enabling him to enchant them further, and to change their enchantments.
Hit Die: d10.

Requirements
To qualify to become a mongrel order knight, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
• Race: Half-Elf
• Base Attack Bonus: +7
• Feats: Weapon Focus, Master Craftsman, Shield Focus
• Abilities: Armor Training
• Skills: Craft (Weaponsmithing or Armorer) 7 ranks.

Class Skills
The mongrel order knight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
The following are class features of the mongrel order knight prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A mongrel order knight gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Adaptive Enchantment (Sp)
The signature ability of the Mongrel Order Knights, this allows the knight to invoke a ritual, costing 1,000 gp per +1, that takes an hour to complete. Once done, the knight can change the enchantments of a weapon, shield or armor. At first level he can change a maximum of +2 per ritual, and it increases by +2 per level of this class, such that at 5th level, he can pay 10,000 gp, and change a weapon that is +10 equivalent to entirely different enchantments.
The change lasts for 1 hour per level.

Craftsman’s Eye (Ex)
Having learned how to adapt enchantments, and to forge weapons, the Mongrel Order Knight is able to use his Craft (Weaponsmithing) or Craft (Armorer) instead of Spellcraft, to determine the enchantments placed upon weapons, shields, and armor.

Call Weapon (Sp)
At 2nd level, the mongrel order knight can call his weapon to hand from a distance. He can, as an immediate action, draw his weapon, as long as it is within 10’ per level.

Call Shield (Sp)
At 3rd level, the mongrel order knight can call his shield to hand from a distance. He can, as an immediate action, equip his shield, as long as it is within 10’ per level.
As a special rule, he can invoke this, and Call Weapon, as one immediate action.

Gird Armor (Sp)
At 4th level, a mongrel order knight is able to gird himself in his armor much faster, as his armor rises and helps him buckle it faster.
When used, the mongrel order knight reduced the time it takes to don the armor to a number of rounds equal to the number of minutes it would usually take. So light armors are reduced to one round, And all other armors are reduced to 4 rounds, and since the armor himself seeks to help him wear it, he doesn’t require help for Half-Plate or Full Plate.

Fast Adaptation (Ex)
At 5th level, a mongrel order knight can pay quadruple the amount for the Adaptive Enchantment ability, to be able to complete the ritual in 1 round.

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +1 +1 +0 +0 Adaptive Enchantment (+2), Craftsman’s Eye
2nd +2 +1 +1 +1 Adaptive Enchantment (+4), Call Weapon
3rd +3 +2 +1 +1 Adaptive Enchantment (+6), Call Shield
4th +4 +2 +1 +1 Adaptive Enchantment (+8), Gird Armor
5th +5 +3 +2 +2 Adaptive Enchantment (+10) , Fast Adaptation

[Pseudos]

Hmm... I feel like adaptive enchantment leads to a lot more salvaged gear in a campaign, and for a reasonable price at higher levels, which I honestly like, but some may not.

I think that fast adaptation should be a limited temporary thing that functions for the Mongrel Order Knight for free, to be more situationally useful. Even wish isn't 40k. That, and having 4,000 plat vanish out of my bag magically seems a stretch.
Something like 'for a number of rounds equal to twice his hit dice, a Mongrel Order knight may change up to 5 total levels of enchantment on any armor, shield, or weapon he wields while he wields it.'

The rest of the abilities seem fine, though under normal circumstances Gird armor is not useful. Still neat though.

[Itzhak Even]

Thanks.

This is definitely not a Prestige Class that will appeal to everyone, and that's fine. This was a player request that I tried my best to keep cohesive and interesting, but not OP.

I would definitely consider tweaking the fast adaptation. Will have to consider it some more.

While it may lead to more salvaged gear, this is only a temporary fix. if the group encounters more opponents of a variety they are not equipped for, this can get very costly, very fast.

Gird armor is not usually very useful, but my player wanted something like this, so I incorporated it. it can be useful if they are ambushed while he's sleeping, which happened to them a few times.

[Sciamancer]

Pseudos wrote:

Hmm... I feel like adaptive enchantment leads to a lot more salvaged gear in a campaign, and for a reasonable price at higher levels, which I honestly like, but some may not.

I think that fast adaptation should be a limited temporary thing that functions for the Mongrel Order Knight for free, to be more situationally useful. Even wish isn't 40k. That, and having 4,000 plat vanish out of my bag magically seems a stretch.
Something like 'for a number of rounds equal to twice his hit dice, a Mongrel Order knight may change up to 5 total levels of enchantment on any armor, shield, or weapon he wields while he wields it.'

The rest of the abilities seem fine, though under normal circumstances Gird armor is not useful. Still neat though.

I agree with all of this. Having your main class feature cost a buttload of money is really not fun. If you think about it, there is plenty of precedent for being able to temporarily enchant equipment on the fly.

I point OP to this Greater Arcanist exploit, which can be achieved by arcanists at lvl 11:

Quote:

Alter Enhancements (Su): An arcanist with this exploit can modify the enhancements placed on a weapon, suit of armor, or shield. The arcanist can use this exploit to change one weapon or armor special ability to another with an equal cost. This ability can only be used to change the item's special abilities, not its enhancement bonus. Using this ability requires the arcanist to touch the item as a full-round action and expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir, and doing so provokes an attack of opportunity. This ability cannot be used on an item in the possession of an unwilling creature. This change lasts for a number of minutes equal to the arcanist's Charisma modifier (minimum 1). The arcanist must have the arcane weapon exploit to select this exploit.

Boom. The minimum entry level for your prestige class here is lvl 8, and it's highly specialized, so I don't think there'd be anything wrong with giving it literally this exact ability, but with a different resource than "arcane resevoir", obviously... perhaps "X times per day" that scales with levels in the class. Feel free to buff it slightly in other ways, to make it better than the arcanist version, since it's the primary class feature of your class here. Make it last longer (also change the stat from Cha to something else, like Int, if desired), make it faster, make it affect multiple things. Probably not all of those at once, but you get the idea, and make it improve at each level.

As for the armor ability? Honestly, it's a high level ability, and pretty situational anyway. I would just let him snap his fingers and have his armor fly onto or off of his body in a single round (somewhere between full-round action and swift action). It's not really overpowered, and it's the only major class feature you're getting at lvl 11.

I'd boost the skill points per level, too. 4+INT. But that's cus I hate 2+INT skill points, lol... seriously, though, since the flavor is you're so good at metalworking/crafting arms and armor, it'd make sense to have more skill points.

I like the flavor on this class (it'd work well retooled for non half-elves, too). But it's really weak as it stands IMO.