Crepuscular Visage (3.5e Prestige Class)

Crepuscular Visage

“	Disparity and equality are at the core of the universe, and Light and Dark are symbols to signify these concepts. We don't merely manipulate obscurity and glare: there's so much more to this.	”
—Master Hygghiopel, human crepuscular visage, Of Sun and Moon

Crepuscular visages are a mysterious sect of warlocks that study the arcane art of Light and Dark manipulation, fascinated by the effects of shadows and brighteness. More deeply they are philosophers of the opposites, looking into the secrets of contradiction, trying to unify this division or to embrace it, depending on their vision. This let them control illumination to produce various effects. Lastly they gain mastery of positive and negative forces, the ultimate power of Light and Dark.

More warlock prestige classes here.

Becoming a Crepuscular Visage

Warlocks especially take this class, as it benefits mainly them and the warlock class it's need to take this path. Those that like a stealthy approach mixed with arcane prowess should be attracted to this class. High Charisma is important to crepuscular visages, as are Dexterity, Intelligence and Constitution.

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Concentration 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks
Invoking:	Invocation: Darkness
Special:	Eldritch blast 3d6 Will save: +5

Table: The Crepuscular Visage

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Invoking
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Bright and dull, Shifting eyes	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Eldritch blast +1d6, Shadow suit	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	New lesser invocation: Twilight	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Eldritch blast +1d6, Cycle of day and night	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Concealing shadows, Superior illumination	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Chaos mastery, Eldritch blast +1d6	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	New greater invocation: Chaos conduit	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
8th	+6	+2	+2	+6	Black and white balance, Eldritch blast +1d6	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
9th	+6	+3	+3	+6	Bend vision	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
10th	+7	+3	+3	+7	Eldritch blast +1d6, New dark invocation: Entropy blast	+1 level of existing invocation-using class
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level) Balance(Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Sag), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Knowledge(religion) (Int), Knowledge(the planes) (Int), Move silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Table: The Epic <-class name->

Level	Special
11th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
12th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
13th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
14th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
15th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
16th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
17th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
18th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
19th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->
20th	<-any improvements to class features gained at this level, including any bonus feats->

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Crepuscular Visage.

Weapons and Armors proficiency: A crepuscular visage gains no proficiency with weapons or armors.

Invocations: At each level, you gain new invocations and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in a invoking 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.

Bright and dull (Sp): Your darkness invocation changes, giving you the ability to replicate the spell light or darkness, but the range is touch or your eldritch blast range (normal or increased). Your caster level is your level in invocations using classes. This counts as a 3rd level spell.

The first step in chaos manipulation is learning to invert the dimming of light in enhancing of radiance. The crepuscular visage school of thought require to be able to create brightness as well as darkness.

Shifting eyes (Su): Your eyes constantly adjust to light conditions: no light nor darkness can blind you, neither magical or natural. You see perfectly in any light or darkness (this is better than darkvision and low-light vision) and you gain a bonus to Spot checks equal to your Charisma modifier.

You open your body to the Plane of Shadows and the mixture of light and shade transforms your eyes in gleaming or dull lenses, shifting between the two as it is more advantageous.

Eldritch blast (Sp): As the class feature of the same name of the warlock. It increases by +1d6 at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th level.

The classic warlock's weapon is now infused with white and black energy.

Shadow suit (Su): You gain a bonus on Move Silently and Hide checks equal to half your class level.

A veil of shade covers your body, not seen by anyone but granting you a faint concealment and deadening your steps.

New lesser invocation: Twilight (Sp): You can replicate the spells daylight and deeper darkness but the range is touch or your eldritch blast range (normal or increased). Every round, as a move action, you can switch from light to darkness and back (even for all the effects active, in any combination you want). This counts as a 5th level spell.

As the fading sun you gain control over giving light or imposing darkness, inverting radiance with shadows, as you please.

Cycle of day and night (Su): While using your invocations or spell-like abilities reproducing the light or darkness spells you can decide to make them in floating spheres, lasting as the spells do. You can do it a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. These spheres are subject to Superior illumination and Concealing shadows and you can throw them with a range equal to your eldritch blast range (normal or increased). You can choose to end this effects disperding the energy to heal or damage your opponents, using light spheres to cure and dark spheres to damage. Use your eldritch blast damage to calculate the healing or damaging effects. Effectively you are channeling positive or negative energy.

From the Shadow Plane you reach the Negative Energy Plane and Positive Energy Plane, evolving yor powers beyond the mere manipulation of light. You feel these planes surge your body with new abilities.

Concealing shadows (Su): You can use shadowstuff to conceal yourself from others. A number of times equal your Charisma modifier you can use a bit of shadows within 60 feets (18 meters) from you to block your opponent's vision: they must make a Reflex save to avoid the effect (DC is 11+Charisma modifier+equivalent spell level of the ability). If the shadows are from natural ones or an effect inferior to deeper darkness you and everyone else gain partial concealment, otherwise it's total concealment. It lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. Targets with darkvision suffer as well, but not targets that see in magical darkness.

Controlling obscurity gives you the edge in combat and stealth: your enemies cannot perceive you when shadows help.

Superior illumination (Su): Every invocation or spell-like ability that creates light you possess can be used to temporarily blind your foes: during the first casting or as a standard action you can will the light to suddendly increase in brightness and attempt to blind everyone in the area or the target. Targets must make a Fortitude save to avoid the effect (DC is 11+Charisma modifier+equivalent spell level of the ability). Effects inferior to daylight blind enemies for one round, effects equal or superior to it blind them for 3 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to half your class level.

As much as darkness is useful for stealth, nothing beats removing your enemies' vision completely. Crepuscular visages learn to blind foes, especially those particularly light sensitive.

Chaos mastery: Your power over darkness and light increases: you gain a +2 DC and +4 on caster check to your abilities of dark and light magic.

You move shadows and light the same way an artisan molds clay: your connection is so deep that you feel this energies as physical as matter.

New greater invocation: Chaos conduit (Sp): You gain the turn or rebuke undead ability as a cleric of your class level. Everytime you use the invocation you must decide one and it remains as chosen until the next day. This invocation makes you eligible for variants of the ability and for feats that need it, but not for prestige classes that have turn/rebuke undead as a prerequisite. This counts as a 7th level spell.

You can extract positive and negative energy the same way a god does. Though not as useful as for a cleric, crepuscular visages can benefit from this ability in innovative ways.

Black and white balance: You gain a bonus to saves against positive, light, negative and dark effects equal to your class level. It applies even to save against negative levels or level loss. You gain a deviation AC bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (max +5) as long as you are in an area of magical or supernatural deep darkness or bright light.

Using opposing powers requires a certain degree of balanced manipulation. Yours is now so high that darkness and brightness protect you.

Bend vision (Ex): You have the hide in plain sight ability as the ranger, only it works either near light or shadow but if you transition from one to another you are no longer in hiding and must use the skill again (you're practically invisible to sight, but everything that puts you out of hiding reveals you). You can be seen as you briefly become shrouded in darkness or bright when you pass from shadows to light and vice versa.

By manipulating light you can interrupt other's visual cognition so that they effectively cannot see you. Remember that this particular manipulation means that you become briefly wrapped in obscurity or in radiance so that you are easily seen by anyone looking towards you (as if you came out of hiding).

New dark invocation: Entropy blast (Sp): This invocation is similar to utterdark blast, given it works the same except you drain two levels instead of simply making the subject lose them. Alternately you can channel positive energy instead of negative and force the target to make a Fortitude save or die exploding, due to the vivid energy of the blast. If it pass the save the targets gains instead temporary hit points, lasting 3 rounds equal to the eldritch blast damage, and doesn't suffer ill effects. Undeads suffer the damage even if they pass the save. It's the equivalent of a 9th level spell. As utterdark blast the negative version heals undeads but the positive one doesn't do the same to living creatures.

Each time you use this ability, you take 1 point of Constitution damage. This ability requires you to channel positive or negative energy through your body so you can't use it if you are immune to Constitution damage or don't have a Constitution score.

Channeling positive or negative energy through your very essence you unleash the maximum power of Light and Dark. Those hit cannot resist the effects of being sucked of vitality or being filled and overwhelmed by vitality. This is very taxing on yourself though so it may be not wise to keep using this power.

The epic <-class name-> gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic <-class name-> feats) every <-# of levels-> levels after <-usually the last non epic level->.

Epic <-class name-> Bonus Feat List: <-list of bonus epic feats->

Campaign Information

Playing a Crepuscular Visage

Combat: They are like warlocks with a twist: they work as stealthy fighters and hinder enemies in large groups, negating their vision. They are versatile, being effective against undeads and living foes. At last they can offer a limited healing to help allies. Their passive abilities make them very good at spying and scouting.

Advancement: Some warlocks who follow this path may take some levels as rogues, but most of them are only warlocks as the class doesn't benefit from other classes.

Resources: They share their core philosophy but don't band together very often. Usually they travel together only if one is a master and the other its apprentice, as it's customary to be taught this way, but not strictly necessary. They fit with almost any group, a part maybe with paladins and characters that don't like their extremly neutral take on morality.

Crepuscular Visages in the World

“	Thief, heretic and villain. I've been called all of those things, but I'm not. I just search for balance in a world of light and dark.	”
—Qeresyhn Kevvin, gnome crepuscular visage

Crepuscular visage are in scarce numbers, given their method of learning and the specialty of their studies. They don't usually divulge their philosophy to others if not asked.

NPC Reactions: NPCs are mostly creeped out by these strange and contradictory characters, that seem to dwell with shadowy power, using light as a façade for their secret aims.

Crepuscular Visage Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge(arcana) and Knowledge(the planes) can research crepuscular visages to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge(arcana) and Knowledge(the planes)

DC	Result
11	They are arcanists that use light and darkness to reach their goals.
16	Beyond the control of illumination these warlocks seems to imitate divine powers.
21	They are mysterious individuals, not easily defined by our categories. Their goals are unclear and diverse.
26	Crepuscular visages are one of the few arcane scholars who study negative and positive energies, a subject usually reserved to clerics.

Crepuscular Visages in the Game

These characters are often neutral but they aren't defined by this alignment as lot of extremists are in their ranks. They are difficult to categorize as their role and beliefs vary so much, depending on their past and occupations. Good and bad (but also order and chaos) are just states of existence, not different from heat and cold, dark and light to crepuscular visages.

Adaptation: This class is generic enough to fit in almost any campaign.

Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPC of this class->

EL whatever: <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter->

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Prestige Classes