I'm running an all-dwarf campaign in which I've featured the remnants of a prehistoric pre-diefic dwarven mystery cult which venerated the earth and celebrated their race's ties to that elemental plane. During their adventures, the group has found a giant geode-like series of caverns hidden beneath the First World in which dwarves, dwarf-oreads and earth elementals members used magic to record memories into the countless crystals lining the walls; a great archive of sorts.
The PCs are using these crystals to learn the cult's lost secrets. I'm wondering what sorts of things they might be able to glean from perusing the archive. Earth-based spells are a given, but I'm wondering if there are any feats, archetypes, prestige classes or other things that the players themselves may consider desirable. I'm open to 3rd party and even 3.X material if it's somehow earth-based and appropriate. The PCs are a Stonelord Paladin, a Warpriest, a Skald, an Invulnerable Rager Barbarian and a Conjuration Wizard.
Slow transformation into an Oread with the Dwarf Blood Feat as a bonus feat.
Lies that tell them that they can avoid the morality based afterlife entirely.
Which must be appealing to a lot of people. Cause even the good places seem to suck sometimes.
Coooool!
The Living Monolith from People of the Sands might fit in here, with a bit of reflavoring (it's Osiriani). Here's a quote from the description text: "The ancient race of sphinxes is said to have endowed the first living monoliths with their powers, raising statues to a semblance of life, but today, most of these paragons of justice are mortals who willingly take on the mantle of immortal warriors through ritual and devotion, imbuing themselves with the patience and eternal strength of stone."
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I don't want to be a wet blanket or fire anyone up, but the ground truth is that there shouldn't be any benefits from membership in an elemental cult. Their promises are just wind.
Thanks Quibblemuch; the living monolith is a great resource. Right on target. Anything else?
One thing that occurs to me is you might reskin scrolls to be crystals--or have spell-completion items that are various crystals holding spells that the PCs can learn to use. Ioun stones might also be good treasure items for such an environment.
Look through the geokineticist abilities as well--maybe unlocking some of those as spell-like abilities could be something that the PCs get by studying this enormous geode.
This set-up sounds really cool. Hope it goes great!
A thought: start them with smaller bonuses. Give them access to the Terran languages as a free, bonus language. All initiates were taught that tongue. Add a few more small bonuses: double their racial bonus to saving throws against spells/SLAs/supernatural abilities with the earth or acid descriptor. Bonus to Spellcraft checks to identify similar effects. As they read more, let them have access to deeper mysteries of the cult. That includes things like the Living Monolith PrC, rare spells, and whatnot. If you have crafters, let them learn how to make magic items that are relevant to the cult's interests more easily. Maybe they can ultimately learn how to use plane shift as a SLA to the Plane of Earth 1/day. Perhaps they can gain the school powers of the elemental (earth) wizard or the domain of same ilk despite their classes.
Really, this is a cool idea and the possiblities are endless.
The idol rules in Occult Realms may serve you well.
You could make it a template that advances with HD
I could see
Bonuses to Con and Penalties to Dex
dr/adamantine(stoneskin)
Bonuses to metallurgy and crafting checks
Endurance/Toughness as a bonus feat
Burrow Speed/Earthglide
Stonemeld/Stoneshape SLA
Bonus damage to unarmed strikes
Bonuses against bullrush
Improved Natural Armor
There was a 3.5 book called Races of the Stone which had some fun stone magic and PRC's in it
Plot Hooks
It might contain a map or clues to storerooms of the cults magic items
There might be a terrible Armageddon ritual that BBEG might want