Prestige in the Realms: Volume 1 by Thomas M. Costa Thomas M. Costa 1 Prestige in the Realms, Volume 1 Introduction Welcome to “Prestige in the Realms,” a mix of 22 prestige classes I’ve used in my Realms campaign, created for the Realms, or in a few cases tweaked to fit the Realms. In many cases, they fill gaps that have not yet been filled in the conversion of the previous editions of the game to 3.5E; others are more original. I hope you enjoy them. Good gaming, Tom About the Author Thomas M. Costa is a professional staffer for a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been a contributor to several Wizards of the Coast products such as Demihuman Deities and Races of Faerûn, and is the author of several Dragon Magazine and Wizards of the Coast website articles. He can be reached at [email protected]. Acknowledgement Thanks to Eric L. Boyd for his always ready and able assistance. Open Game Content The only open game content, as defined by the Open Gaming License (see Appendix: License below), in this document is the despot, forest runner, kyorlin velve warrior, tunnel warder, varde elgg gladiator, and all sidebars denoted with “[OGL]” with the notable exception of any and all other references to the Forgotten Realms, a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. However, the author happily makes available any d20 conversion to Wizards of the Coast for its own use. In no way should any part of this document be construed as a challenge of trademarks and copyrights held by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. What You Need to Play To make the best use of “Prestige in the Realms,” you should have the Player’s Handbook v.3.5, Dungeon Master’s Guide v.3.5, Monster Manual v.3.5, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Player’s Guide to Faerûn, Complete Warrior (for feats used in the despot and varde elgg gladiator, though alternative 3E sources exist as well), Oriental Adventures and the Oriental Adventures web enhancement (for the roushi), and Shining South (for the jordain feats and template appendix, though an alternative 3E source exist as well). This file also references or suggests options utilizing the 3E Arms and Equipment Guide, Defenders of the Faith, 3E Draconomicon, Eberron Campaign Setting, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Faiths and Pantheons, Magic of Faerûn, Masters of the Wild, 3E Monster Manual 2, Monster Manual 3, Planar Handbook, Races of Faerûn, Savage Species, Sword and Fist, Underdark, 3E Unearthed Arcana, and other sources, though none of these products are necessary to use the material in this file. Several of the sidebars are denoted as updated, new, or variant. Updated material is updated from 3E, new material is either updated from 1E or 2E or original material, and variant material is a way to tweak existing game material. Thomas M. Costa 2 Prestige in the Realms, Volume 1 Table of Contents Contents Page List of Sidebars Page Introduction 2 New Equipment: Berimbau 6 About the Author 2 New Equipment: Reco-reco 6 Acknowledgement 2 New Knowledge Subskill: Knowledge (sea) 10 Open Game Content 2 New Feat: Mariner 10 What You Need To Play 2 New Weapon: Cutlass 10 Table of Contents 3 New Weapon: Fishing Gaff 10 1. Battledancer of Chult 4 New Weapon: Hand Gaff 10 2. Blood Pirate of the Fallen Stars 8 New Animal: Parrot 11 3. Circle Singer of Angharradh 12 New Feat: Noroghar of the Wyrm Cult 20 4. Despot 14 New Spell: Age Dragon 20 5. Dwarven Chanter 16 Updated Feat: Chariot Combat 23 6. Dwarven Wyrm Cultist 19 Updated Domain: Beastmaster 24 7. Ensi of Unther 22 New Weapon: Sapara 24 8. Forest Runner 31 New Deities: The Old Gods 24 9. Gallant 34 New Plane: Zigguraxus 26 10. Joydancer of Lliira 36 New Feat: Two-Weapon Finesse 41 11. Kyorlin Velve Warrior 39 New Weapon: Shyrlass 41 12. Masked Traitor of Vhaeraun 42 New Feat: Hunter 45 13. Master of the High Hunt 44 Variant Prestige Class: Knight of the Flying Hunt 47 14. Nimbran Peer 46 New Character Region: Nimbral 49 15. Peacefolk of Eldath 52 New Weapon: Hurl Club 49 16. Primate of Bhaal 55 New Special Material: Nimbrian Glass 49 17. Roushi 60 New Magic Item: Nimbrian Storm Armor 49 18. Stormharbor of Valkur 64 New Equipment: Silver Robe of Nimbral 50 19. Tuneservant of Milil 68 New Deity: Bhaal 57 20. Tunnel Warder 71 New Feat: Sage Wisdom 62 21. Varde Elgg Gladiator 75 Variant Prestige Class: Sannyasi 62 22. Wild Priest of Malyk 78 New Knowledge Subskill: Knowledge (sea) 66 Appendix I: Jordain Feats and Template 80 New Feat: Mariner 67 Appendix II: License 83 New Weapon: Cutlass 67 New Animal: Seagull 67 Variant Prestige Class: Tunnel Defender 73 New Feat: Surprise Kick 76 New Drow Fighting Style: Varde Elgg 76 New Weapon: Drow Blade Boots 76 Variant Class: Varde Elgg Monk 76 New Feat: Disrupting Strike 80 New Feat: Improved Arcane Resistance 80 New Feat: Improved Jordaini Counterspell 80 New Feat: Improved Lore 80 New Feat: Jordain-born 80 New Feat: Magic Hound 81 New Template: Jordain-born 81 Thomas M. Costa 3 Prestige in the Realms, Volume 1 Battledancer of Chult For centuries or more, the slave trade has been a sad fact of life for its victims throughout southwestern Faerûn from Calimshan to the Lake of Steam to the Vilhon Reach. Many slaves have learned to accept their pathetic lot in life. However, some few have found ways to rebel. Many Chultan slaves, for example, transformed their traditional dances and rituals into a fierce battle style that was easily hidden from their masters. Soon, the Chultans had shared this martial style with their fellow slaves, spreading the teachings and skills across the Chultan peninsula, Calimshan, the Lake of Steam, the Shaar, and parts of the Vilhon Reach. And over the last several centuries, many of the slave revolts in the South have been lead by battledancers. Today, battledancers are no longer strictly from Chult but include all races and ethnic groups. There are even secretive groups of free men that train, much as monks, as battledancers. Battledancers are skilled in an acrobatic form of martial arts that emphasizes the use of the feet in combat. Battledancer lore teaches that the hands are for good works such as crafting and tenderness, while the feet, usually in touch with the dirt, are relegated to the unclean work of battle. Battledancers organize themselves into circles, where they can practice both the rhythmic music that drives their movements and the battle skills for which they are increasingly famed. These circles are usually secretive groups of around 15 members, but capable of ranging from 5 to 30, and frequently exist within slave society. Each circle usually has a leader, but such recognition is nominal at best as each battledancer is treated as an equal and takes his or her turn as leader of the circle’s musical bateria. Most battledancers are monks or multiclassed bard/fighters or rogue/fighters. Few other classes have the requisite acrobatic talent or combat abilities necessary to qualify or excel as battledancers. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To qualify to become a battledancer of Chult, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Alignment: Any nonchaotic, nonevil. Skills: Balance 5 ranks, Jump 5 ranks, Perform (percussion instruments) 5 ranks, Tumble 8 ranks. Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack. Special: The character must be a member in good standing of an organized circle of battledancers. Class Skills The battledancer of Chult’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features All the following are class features of the battledancer prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Battledancers of Chult are proficient with all simple weapons and blowguns. They gain no proficiency with any types of armor or shields. Improved Feint (Ex): A battledancer stays in constant motion during battle, making it difficult for opponents to determine from where the next attack may be coming. At 1st level, a battledancer gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat. Monk Abilities (Ex): A battledancer has the flurry of blows, unarmed damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus of a monk with as many levels as his battledancer levels plus his monk levels (if any). (See pages 40-41 of the Player’s Handbook.) Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a battledancer can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a battledancer already has uncanny dodge from a different class (such as a rogue, for example) he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead. Ki Strike (Su): At 3rd level, a battledancer’s unarmed attacks are empowered with ki. His unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction (see Damage Reduction on pages 291- 292 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). At 7th level, his unarmed attacks are also treated as good weapons for dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.