Nocturnal Caster (3.5e Prestige Class)

Nocturnal Caster

During a period of free learning, scholarly mages began feeling a pull towards darkness, not evil, just the elemental plane of it and even the abilities gained from nighttime. As they learned, their powers grew. Now they are pitted into a war amongst mages where the Arcane masters have decided that anyone who practices under darkness is evil. They fight for their very life. A nocturnal Caster is an arcane caster of some sort that has devoted some portion of their study to the powers of darkness and has gained powers from their research. They know that to kill an enemy, it is much easier to go at the enemies very soul, rather than the body. They fight in the darkest of areas and congregate only at night.

Becoming a Nocturnal Caster

A character who goes into the Nocturnal casting is a character who is enticed by darkness, but understands that it is not evil. Charisma is very important for them so they can build off their own abilities with newer and more frightening capabilities than typical mages possess.

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	any alignment.
Skills:	Concentration: 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcana): 8 ranks.
Spellcasting:	Able to cast Arcane spells.
Special:	Must be caster level 5 or higher.

Table: The Nocturnal Caster

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting or Manifesting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Darkvision 30ft, Paranoia, Nocturnal Apprentice, darkness 3/day	+1 level of existing arcane class
2nd	+1	+3	+o	+3	Noctufobia	+1 level of existing arcane class
3rd	+1	+3	+1	+3	Detect undead	+1 level of existing arcane class
4th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Shadow stride, Darkness 4/day, Soul Purge	+1 level of existing arcane class
5th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Darkvision 60ft	effects of existing spellcasting at this level
6th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Shadow Surge	+1 level of existing arcane class
7th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Darkness 5/day	+1 level of existing arcane class
8th	+4	+6	+2	+6	class features gained at this level	effects of existing spellcasting at this level
9th	+4	+6	+3	+6	Darkvision 90ft, Necromantic Thirst	+1 level of existing arcane class
10th	+5	+7	+3	+7	Nocturnal Mastery, Deeper Darkness 3/day	+1 level of existing arcane class
Class Skills (3 + Int modifier per level) same as existing arcane class plus Intimidate, Diplomacy, and Bluff.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Nocturnal Caster.

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 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 <-arcane-> spellcasting class before becoming a <-Nocturnal Caster->, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Darkvision: This allows the Nocturnal Caster to see in darkness, but only in black and white. This does stack with already existing dark vision, but does not stack with spells or additional affects.

Paranoia: All allies within 10ft of the Nocturnal caster gain a +5 to all listen, search and spot checks, while all allies within 5ft of a nocturnal caster gain that plus a 60ft dark vision. This does not add to any dark vision the allies may already have and the nocturnal caster does not gain these abilities. This effect is only present during the night or in dimly lit or dark areas.

Nocturnal Apprentice: This ability grants a +1 to AC, spell saves, caster level/two nocturnal caster levels past first (starting with a +1 at first level), and a spell resistance (10+ ½ Nocturnal Caster level+ cha mod.). This ability is only present, however, during the night or in darkness.

Darkness: This ability grants a Nocturnal caster the ability to summon darkness at his/her will and functions like a darkness spell, except it doesn’t count as magical darkness.

Noctuphobia: Any enemy within 30ft of the Nocturnal Caster must succeed at a fortitude save (DC 10+ ½ Caster level + Cha mod.) or be forced to run away in the opposite direction for one round. After that one round, they are considered shaken for three following rounds, but are not affected by the ability again, even if they re-enter the range. In darkness, this range is doubled. Undead are not affected.

Detect undead:A nocturnal caster can detect all undead within a 40ft radius.

Shadow stride:During the night, or in Darkness, a Nocturnal caster’s base speed becomes doubled. This does not affect their dexterity in any way and it does not act as a haste spell.

Soul Purge:this ability grants a +1/three Nocturnal Caster levels to any ability draining spell, attack, or ability. This bonus ability drain is only temporary, even if the original spell/attack/abilities effect was not.

Shadow Surge:At 6th level A Nocturnal master can direct any and all shadows within sight to congress upon a single designated area with a diameter of 5ft/ 3 levels. This designated area drains a temporary 1d4 points of Strength and Constitution each round to any creature within it (except for the caster). Creatures passing through automatically take 1d4 points of temporary ability drain but their speed is not encumbered, neither is the speed of any creature within the designated area. Once a creature leaves the area, they regain 1 point of ability per round. This ability lasts for 1 round/ two caster levels. Usable a number of times per day equal to ½ the Nocturnal caster’s Cha mod. Flying creatures, undead, and creatures with a hover-like ability are unaffected. This is a full round action.

Necromantic Will:At 8th level the nocturnal caster can create a circle of control around him/her called a Necromantic Will. This “Will” has a radius of 20ft. All undead within or entering the Circle must pass a Will save (DC 10+ ½ caster level + cha modifier) or go under the control of the Nocturnal caster. If the Undead leaves the range of the ability, or if the nocturnal caster faints, the ability is ended, until the nocturnal caster is either recovered (hp higher than 0), or is back in range. In Darkness the range of this ability becomes doubled. This ability is usable a number of times/day equal to the characters Cha. modifier. This ability lasts for 1 round/two nocturnal caster levels. This is a move action.

Necromantic thirst:At 9th level, a Nocturnal Caster gets a kind of Aura of draining around them. A creature within 5 ft of the Caster takes 1d6 points of temporary Constitution and Strength drain each round, unless they pass a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ Caster level + Charisma modifier). If they leave the range, they regain any lost points at a rate of 1d4/ round. Any points drained from the enemy are temporarily added to the Nocturnal casters. These temporary points dissipate at a rate of 1d4/round if the enemy has died or has left the area. Undead are not affected. The Nocturnal caster may use this ability 1 time/day for every three caster levels. This ability lasts for 2d4 rounds+ Cha. modifier. It is activated as a full round action.

Deeper Darkness:this functions just like the spell, except, like the darkness ability, it is not counted as magical darkness.

Nocturnal Mastery:Upon achieving 10th level the Nocturnal Caster gains Nocturnal Mastery. This ability allows the Nocturnal Caster to see perfectly in darkness (even magical), grants abilities, like Darkness, to be counted as magical, and doubles the radius/length (of instantaneous spells) and duration (except for instantaneous spells) of all spells cast during the night or in darkness. These effects only take place during the night or in darkness. This also grants allies under the paranoia ability to see in Magical darkness.

Nocturnal Casters in the World

Sadly, Nocturnal Casters are not well recognized in the world. Most people who see them think they are Shadow casters and therefore fear them. Most who know what they are hunt them for fame in the eyes of the Arcane masters who despise them and what they stand for. Should they find a friend, which is rare, they are often known to keep to themselves out of fear of being killed by an outside source. Even despite all of this, however, the most likely place to find a nocturnal caster is within a library or a school for mages where they can gather more information, but they only go there at night.

Nocturnal Caster Lore

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

Knowledge(Arcana)

DC	Result
11	There is a bounty on all Nocturnal Casters made by the Arcane orders of the Material Plane.
16	Nocturnal Casters research darkness, but are not associated with Shadow Casters, despite what is said.
21	the powers of darkness used in the Nocturnal Caster are associated with death and the soul, but most Nocturnal Casters are just typical mages who decided to follow a certain pull from the elemental plane of Darkness.
26	The Nocturnal Caster's Powers were originally discovered by an Arcane Master who was banished from his teachings to the Plane of Shadow. After that, a long war was sparked once he was discovered to be alive and with followers.

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