...and I got xlorep's dragon mechanics to thank for!
So go read the following web page on Empowered Obsidian Orbs before reading any further!!
DarkHelm.net: Empowered Obsidian Orbs
Then tell me what you thought of the class, and what should its requirements be (I've set those in red).
Also what should be the level of the spell Tap the Life Force?
Defiler epitome, the master defiler is a wizard who has sought the power of ancient undeads and the Dragon. Insert rest of text here later.
Hit Die: d4
Requirements
To become a master defiler (MaD), a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Knowledge (arcana): ? ranks
Knowledge (dragon or undead): ? ranks
Spellcraft: ? ranks
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Destructive Raze, Efficient Raze, Great Fortitude
Spellcasting: Ability to cast ?th level arcane spells.
Others: Must be a defiler. Must have been brought to the brink of death by experiencing first hand the life-sucking power of the Dragon or of the greatest of undeads.
Class Skills:
The master defiler’s class skills (and key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifier
Class_______Fort___Ref___Will
Level__BAB__Save__Save__Save__Special
1_____+0___+0____+0____+2____Minor Obsidian Orb
2_____+0___+0____+0____+3____+1 spellcaster level
3_____+1___+1____+1____+3____Raze
4_____+1___+1____+1____+4____+1 spellcaster level
5_____+2___+1____+1____+4____Defile Life
Class features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Master defilers gain no proficiency in any additional weapons, shields or armor.
Minor Obsidian Orb: The defiler learns to create a minor replica of a dragon's Empowered Obsidian Orb. The orb of tiny size is taxing to create, costing ? XP and ? Cp of raw materials. He can use it's focusing capabilities to tap into creatures around him, but unlike a true dragon's orb, this orb can only tap creatures whose life force as been prepared in advance to allow collection. The defiler researches a spell, tap the life force, that brands creatures it is cast upon, allowing their life force to be accessed as part of a special energy gathering process.
Anytime within the ten days following the casting of the spell, the wizard can tap the life force of the creatures as part of the special energy gathering process, during which the orb must be touched (some carry them on staves, others as a necklace). The range of the orb is equal to 10 ft. x the level of the spell being cast. The targeted creature(s) must make a Fortitude save (DC = user's spellcaster level). If successful, the caster failed to draw energy with the orb. However if the target fails, it takes temporary Constitution damage equal to the level of the spell being cast (a metamagic feat cannot be applied to a spell at casting time using this method). If this reduces the target to 0 Constitution, it dissolves into Defiler's Ash. Further, if the target didn't have enough Constitution to equal the spell level, another target must be selected from within range and makes the Fortitude save, and if that target fails, the remainder of the spell levels needed to be drained are taken from the second target's Constitution. A target that survives this attack becomes nauseated for one round as a result of his life essence being stolen from him.
While gathering energy using this special process, the defiling is limited to those creatures that are branded and is in no way applied to terrain. Raze feats are of no use to this type of energy gathering. Whenever not holding the orb, or when branded creatures are not specifically targeted for use in this special energy gathering process, the defiler gathers energy as normal.
Raze: The terrain yields all to the master defiler. Treat the terrain he defiles in as one category better whenever he uses his orb as an arcane focus to his spellcasting. This effect stacks with Efficient Raze.
Defile Life: Defiling with his obsidian orb as an arcane focus, the master defiler gains the use of the undead ability Defile Life (Su) from Terrors of the Dead Lands. Undead, outsiders, non-corporeal creatures, and plants are not affected by this power.
Any creature found within his defiling radius must make a Fortitude save (DC = user's spellcaster level). If successful, you failed to affect the creature with this power. However if the creature fails, it takes 1 point of temporary Constitution damage. If this reduces a creature to 0 Constitution, it dissolves into Defiler's Ash.
If the total of drained Constitution points from the creatures present within the radius equals or exceeds the level of the spell being cast (modified for metamagic feats), then treat the terrain you gather energy in as one category better. This effect stacks with the 3rd level Raze ability. If the use of this power modifies the terrain beyond the categories found on Table 8-1: Terrain Modifiers of the DS3 core document, then expand logically the table to accommodate for further categories.
If this power is used on terrain devoid of plant life, the spell being cast fails and the energy gathered from creatures, if any, is absorbed into the ground.
Edit:tweaking
Edit#2:explained Defile Life
Necromancy
Level: Wiz ?
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Targets: 2 Hit Dice of creatures/level
Duration: 10 days; see text
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The spell brands the essence of creatures so as to make it available in a special energy gathering process. Usually, defilers use this spell in conjunction with a mind-affecting spell to create a small group of docile slaves whose life force can be used in places completely devoid of plant life, such as the Obsidian Plains.
First, the creatures are subjected to an arcane process that brands their life force. Undead, outsiders, non-corporeal creatures, and plants cannot be affected by tap the life force. The process is applied in the same manner as a coup de grace, so it is impossible to brand someone in normal combat without first subduing or incapacitating the opponent. Every day the brand is in place the creature gets a Fortitude save to negate the branding. A willing, charmed or dominated victim gets no saving throw. The wizard cannot have branded at any one time more than double its caster level in Hit Dice of creatures. The branding process confers no control over the creature(s). At the end of the spell's duration, the life force ceases to be accessible to the defiler and he must cast the spell again to make a creature's life force available for energy gathering.
Arcane Focus: Minor Obsidian Orb. The orb is not destroyed during the casting and can be reused for other castings of the spell.
Edit:spelling
Question: I made the Obsidian Orbs need to be constructed by a Psionic crafter, rather than an Arcane one, primarily because I think that there were references that mentioned the effect is tied into psionic energy.
This also limits their construction, as a character who wishes to use this needs to find a Psionic crafter in order to have it made, but it is used by Arcane characters, so it's relatively useless to pure Psionic characters. so, the Arcane caster who wants to have one of these constructed needs to sweet-talk a Psionic character into making one, or simply takes levels of a Psionic class in order to do it themselves.
However, it appears you have the lesser version of this being able to be developed by a pure Arcane caster, is that true?
I'll reiterate - it's a great idea, and I like it a lot. I just had that one question is all.
And I'd like to specify to whom it might be unclear:
The power confered by the Minor Obsidian Orb ability is not dragon magic!
Its in fact the spell which makes the life force into something that can be used to power spellcasting, the obsidian orb is there because its always present whenever defiling and a creature's life force are mentionned in the same phrase. ;)
My fun thought had been that apparently Nok's (or rather, Ktando's) Cane, when using the system I outlined above, had a primary advantage over "normal" Obsidian Orbs in that it could use creature energy in a more controlled fashion, like the difference between how a preserver and a defiler gather energy for thier spells from plants. Of course, it also had a few built-in spells in it as well, and could be used to augment the spells of it's wielder.
...just rambling...
Yours is actually the only mechanic that allows Nok's cane to do what it does in the PP novels.
Like you can see, the way I usurped your orb idea didn't give "a primary advantage " in spellcasting to the master defiler.
It only helps him in places where there's no plant life. Its less advantageous than getting your hands on an actual dragon orb. But what are the chances of that happening?!
And the minor orb ability opens the way for the cool Defile Life ability!
I read more carefully the orb entry from your site and I see that you only need to be an arcane spellcaster to use an orb, and only need to be a manifester to create one.
So Nok in the PP novels could really have created Ktandeo's cane.
But what of Nok's own orb? In 2e, halflings couldn't be wizards, now they can. One can imagine Nok having levels in wizard (what a disturbing idea! an halfling casting arcane magic!).
Now its me who's rambling... :D
To build and actual dragon orb, xlorep as set the requisites to:
10th level manifester
Knowledge (dragon) 10 ranks
Craft Universal Item
and the cost to:
2,500 XP
20,000 Cp
While Jon as set the requisites of the Myrmeleon's orb at:
Craft Wondrous Item
and the cost to:
100 Xp
50 Cp
Originally posted by Pennarin
So Nok in the PP novels could really have created Ktandeo's cane.
But what of Nok's own orb? In 2e, halflings couldn't be wizards, now they can. One can imagine Nok having levels in wizard (what a disturbing idea! an halfling casting arcane magic!).
Halflings could be illusionists in the first DS box set...
Only the advent of 3e can clear the fog.
Any thoughts on the PrC, Nyt...
You know, necessity abides...
I’ve looked up the Defile Life (Su) undead ability from TotDL, and it of course refers to rules that don’t exist yet.
I couldn’t use xlorep’s rules directly either, since dragon magic requires an Empowered Obsidian Orb or bones made of living obsidian. Only dragons have the latter and a monster ability can’t be about obtaining an item…
So I extrapolated and added the results in the PrC above.
Cyao. :D
Edit:Jesus, spelling again!!
So I envisioned two Defile Life abilities:
#1 Defile Life (Su): Due to the undead’s link to negative energy, his spells can defile life. The undead is considered to have the Minor Dragon Magic ability (see DarkHelm.net: Dragon Magic) and can use any of its conferred abilities within the Obsidian Plains region, as long as the caster and the targeted creatures are both in contact with uninterrupted obsidian. This ability works nowhere else on Athas.
#2 Defile Life (Su): Due to the undead’s link to negative energy, his spells can defile life. The undead is considered to have the Minor Dragon Magic ability (see DarkHelm.net: Dragon Magic) and does not need obsidian to use it.
None allow a non-undead to use dragon magic without obsidian. The Master Defiler’s 5th level ability, as written above, I now consider ‘broken’, and can’t function as written. It will probably have to be drastically modified or exchanged with another class ability.
Suggestions would be appreciated.