Eternal Incarnate (3.5e Prestige Class)

Eternal Incarnate

“	Life is more complicated than you think.	”
—Oris the Sage, Centaur Eternal Incarnate

Eternal Incarnate are masters of life and death, sages who meditate on their soul and the cycle of reincarnation. Through birth, death, and rebirth, incarnates gain a deep understanding of the principles of life and death. Almost everyone has a reason to walk this path; some follow it for knowledge, others seek a kind of immortality, and there are a rare few whose motives are far darker.

Becoming an Eternal Incarnate

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	Any Neutral.
Skills:	Knowledge (Nature) 10 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 10 ranks.
Spellcasting:	Must be able to cast reincarnate.

Table: The Eternal Incarnate

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Understanding (Life)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Recall Previous Lives (Insight)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Eternal Memories, Understanding (Soul)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Recall Previous Lives (Partial)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Understanding (Afterlife)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Recall Previous Lives (Full)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Understanding (Death)	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
8th	+6	+6	+2	+6	Master of Incarnation	+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Eternal Incarnate.

Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a Eternal Incarnate, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Understanding: As a Eternal Incarnate progress in the class she develops a heightened awareness and comprehension of the mysteries of mortality.

Life: A 1st level Incarnate gains an understanding of life: she gains a +2 Perfection bonus to Fortitude saves. Once she learns her next understanding she gains timeless body.

Soul: A 3rd level Eternal Incarnate gains an understanding of her soul; she can now exploit it to its full potential. Whenever she dies and is raised from the dead, she does not lose any XP or a level. When she gains her next understanding she become immune to death effects.

Afterlife: A 5th level Eternal Incarnate gains an understanding of the afterlife and may now employ its mysteries. She may cast commune at will as a supernatural ability as she communicates with the dead. Whenever she gain her next understanding she gains the ability to cast it as a full-round action instead.

Death: A 7th level Eternal Incarnate gains an understanding over death itself and is now forevermore changed. Her type change to Outsider (native) and she gain immunity to mind-affecting spells.

Recall Previous Lives (Ex): As a Eternal Incarnate progresses within the PrC, she uncovers buried memories and experiences from past lives within her soul.

Insight: A 2nd level Eternal Incarnate is able to feel a special insight as buried memories of her former lives return. She gains an insight bonus to saving throws equal to her wisdom modifier (the bonus insight bonus from this ability stacks with the Wisdom modifier normally applied to Will saves).

Partial: A 4th level Eternal Incarnate regains partial memories of her former lives. She effectively gains some of her lost knowledge. She gains a bonus feat for which she must meet the prerequisites.

Full: A 6th level Eternal Incarnate regains full memories of every former life she lived. She gains a +4 perfection bonus to Wisdom.

Eternal Memories (Ex): A 3rd level Eternal incarnate gains immunity to all memory modifying effects. (like modify memory or mindrape^BoVD)

Master of Incarnations: A 8th level Eternal Incarnate gains control over the circumstances of her reincarnations. Whenever she dies and is reincarnated (through the spell reincarnate or through the natural cycle of life and death) she is able to choose her new form, gender, appearance and retain all her memories from past lives. Her mastery of reincarnation even allows her to circumvent the normal finality of death; if the Eternal Incarnate dies and is not raised from the dead she may choose to return in a new body 1d4+1 years later. This body grows ten-times faster than its race's standard. This ability can bring back a Eternal Incarnate who died of old age. If she wishes she can reincarnate normally.

Campaign Information

Playing an Eternal Incarnate

Combat: As the base class.

Advancement: Typically, Eternal Incarnate are druids; however certain classes or multi-class options may qualify.

Resources: Generally, an eternal incarnate still have the support of whatever organization she was part of before, such as a monastery, a druid circle or a temple.

Eternal Incarnate in the World

“	I understand now that my purpose in life is to destroy it.	”
—Ashikera, Human Eternal Incarnate, Eternal Incarnates are not necessarily good...

Eternal Incarnates are a more moral version of immortalist, generally living normal lives until they die; a 10th level Eternal Incarnate may even have lived numerous lives. Most Eternal Incarnates seclude themselves and become hermetic sages, though most readily accept a worthy apprentice. Rarely, an Eternal Incarnate can awaken memories best left buried; though most learn to achieve balance with the joy and sorrow of past lives, others are overwhelmed by the pain of their previous existences and descend into insanity. These unfortunate few may seek to break the cycle of reincarnation and irreversibly destroy themselves and the world they blame for tormenting them.

NPC Reactions: Generally Eternal Incarnates are considered sages among men, wise beyond mortal understanding. Even the most evil or chaotic society respects the power and experience an Eternal Incarnate possesses, and as such these seers of reincarnation are often welcomed as religious leaders or advisers, while others are the hermits in the wilderness who attract pilgrims seeking wisdom. PC Eternal incarnates can expect frequent requests for advice from NPCs of every race, class, profession, or creed. However, people who have survived encounters with Eternal Incarnates of the insane variety tend to be irreparably scarred and extremely unfriendly at best.

Eternal Incarnate Lore

Characters with ranks in knowledge (Nature) can research Eternal Incarnates to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

knowledge (Nature)

DC	Result
11	Eternal Incarnates are specialists in the study of reincarnation and the afterlife.
16	Eternal Incarnates gain a transcendental understanding of the workings of life and death..
21	Eternal Incarnate are able to recall the memories and experiences of past lives.
26	Information on a particular incarnate.

Eternal Incarnate in the Game

Eternal Incarnate are sages, beings of great wisdom earned through their intense focus of experiences and memories of past lives. Stronger incarnates often draw upon their past knowledge to build on their past power and avoid mistakes; thus an Eternal Incarnate can be a nightmarish foe indeed.

Adaptation: Eternal Incarnates are pretty generic in nature, suitable as heroes, allies, or villains; however, not every campaign features reincarnation. For a different style of campaign, the flavor of the class can easily be shifted to the idea that the Eternal Incarnate is a councilor of the dead, thus accommodating the incarnate's use of of using the experience and memories of past lives. In this situation, you would want to change the prerequisite spell, probably to one or more divine divination spells.

Sample Encounter: Jason Eane is a powerful and mysterious eternal incarnate, who, for some reason, is seeking to capture the party. He ambushes them in a forest with his loyal and formidable rhino. What are his motives?

EL 10: Jason Eane (DnD NPC)

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