Prestige is back, in veil shape!
Introduction
I always loved the concept of Prestige Classes since I first read the intro in D&D’s 3rd edition Dungeon Master Guide, but after some time, the concept was banalized to fill splat books with barely interesting concepts, and distancing from the pursue of the base classes higher levels. Paizo got away from this, making PrC rare. But I liked the concept of “earning” so much that I this little book to bring the concept to akashic magic, since it is the best magic system for it.
What’s inside?: 10 pages for 4 bucks, which includes:
-Prestige Veil format: mimicking prestige classes, with similar requirements (both rules-wise and roleplaying), and specifying their nature with some minor details like not belonging to any veil lists. Also, each prestige veil includes a lore section taking about their origin and nature. Finally, prestige veils can have two unique descriptors. Accursed veils carry a side effect, like autoshaping each day, and as such maybe you won’t want them for long. Unique veils can only be bestowed to one specific individual, so if someone made Excalibur into a prestige veil and gave it to not-king Arthur, you won’t find anyone in the multiverse wielding the same veil.
-5 Sample Prestige veils: I went with 5 because I love that number LMAO. Anyway, Brahmashirastra, The Creator’s Wrath was one of the legends that inspired this book, since in our previous book, Astradhari’s Panoply, the Brahmastra storm veil was included, and when researching for that book I read that there was a stronger version, which got me thinking on how could one make a stronger version of a veil. The veil itself is REALLY strong, since it has the power of 2 storm veils, with the requirements and costs to match. A candidate for such a veil already needs to be able to shape and bind two storm veils at the same time.
The Duan E Dao, the Evil-Severing Blade, is a rip-off from one of my most favoritest videogames ever: Wandering Sword. It is a powerful adamantine falchion that lets you kind of break your vow of non-violence, which is a requirement for the veil. The story comes from actual Shaolin myth, and in the game, the wielder is a badass Shaolin monk that is so cool I knew I wanted to represent him in some way, and this veil is the result. I tied its backstory to my fantasy version of the Shaolin temple. It is also an example of a unique veil, since the veil itself appears as a physical object that you have to earn, and when you do, you get to shape it as normal.
Pashupatastra is another reason I wanted to make prestige veils. In reality, I wanted a siege engine veil but was afraid of the power level, but that is perfect for a PrV. It starts as a lighter version of the light bombard, but goes up in power with the binds, up to a heavy bombard. At top level you can even permanently sacrifice a point of essence to potentially erase an opponent from existence. Both Brahmashirastra and this veil are drawn from Hindu myth, and are so broken that they couldn’t be given freely as normal veils.
The Smoking Mirror of the Obsidian Jaguar was the last veil to be added, since 4 veils felt too few and I also wanted to add a non-weapon prestige veil AND one inspired from my own culture. It is a powerful curse/divinatory veil that requires greater and greater sacrifices the more you use it, just like my ancestors wanted LMAO.
Uaithne, The Horned Man’s Harp, wasn’t going to be here, since it was supposed to appear in a future, music-themed project. But I started daydreaming (or more like daynighmare-ing?) more and more about it, and once I started researching about the harp I couldn’t stop writing. If the previous veil was an example of the accursed descriptor, then this is the epitome, since once you start using the harp, there is no going back (well, almost). The requirements are kind of easy to fulfil, and this veil could be accidentally “earned”. It is a powerful musical instruments with power over sleep, sadness and joy, and while it is inspired in Celtic myth, it deviates by making the OG owner of the instrument into a kind of boogeyman for all fey-dom. It is surely the most evocative veil in the book, and the one with the best visuals (not gonna spoil).
-Story Feat: Veilbound Accord: This started as a way to transform any aligned or elemental veil into a prestige one, but after talking with my editor we “accorded” to making it a feat. It basically lets you make a pact with an outsider, getting an improved familiar out of the deal. I even stated a full 9th level retold eclipse NPC to show the feat’s integration.
Of Note: The concept of prestige veils was something I wanted to tackle a long time ago, and I’m glad I was able to. The veils themselves are rooted in myth, and I hope to have made them justice.
Anything wrong?: I would have loved to stat a character for each veil, but that was beyond the scope of this mini-book.
What I want: I would love to make more prestige veils in the future, tied to my budding campaign setting The Lands Between.
What cool things did this inspire?: An akashic version of the monk from the Wandering Sword game, such a great character! His name is Di Zui, the Karma Vydiaraja, even his name and title are cool!
Do I recommend it?: If the concept fits your fancy, then yeah. I feel that I made the concept justice, and for less than a burger? Anyway, hope you find the ideas interesting enough to warrant a purchase. You can find the book Here.