Scrivened Soul (3.5e Prestige Class)
| The Realm of the Gateway by John Griffin |
Scrivened souls are occultists who are fascinated with symbols and the power they hold and, courtesy of that fascination, they dabble in the darker arts where they learn to bend vestiges of ancient powers to their will. Rather than forming symbiotic composites with these hoary entities, however, scrivened sols see them as tools to be used at their leisure, whether it be in the pursuit of greed and power or, in very rare cases, putting their eternal soul on the line for the greater good. After all, if these shallow reflections of bygone powers were truly as powerful as they claimed, why did they end up in such a pitiful state to begin with?
In order to gain this greater command of vestiges, scrivened souls have the seals of binding permanently branded into their flesh. Not only does this make their connection to these ancient powers stronger, but the vestiges themselves get to experience the living world more vividly, and thus tend to bemore eager to accept their pacts despite the scrivened soul's ulterior motives for doing so.
While tattooing is the art used by more civilized scrivened souls, other forms of body modification are certainly possible. The scarification favored by barbarian berserkers and the fiery brands of masochistic tribesmen of the jungle lands are but two examples.
That said, most scrivened souls tend to be lone scholars locked away in obscure libraries and laboratories, while only a handful travel abroad and adventure in order to further their wisdom and power in a more direct approach.
Special Note: Any reference to an eldritch blast can be substituted by a similar ability granted by an invocation-using class, such as a dragonfire adept's breath weapon.
Becoming a Scrivened Soul[edit]
| Alignment: | Any nongood and nonlawful alignment. |
|---|---|
| Skills: | Craft (Calligraphy) 6 ranks, Knowledge (The Planes) 6 ranks |
| Feats: | Expel Vestige, Skilled Pact Making |
| Invocations: | Hideous Blow |
| Special: | You must be able to bind 2nd level vestiges |
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spellcasting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort | Ref | Will | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Forgotten Secret, Hideous Channeling, Occult Knowledge | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Scrivened Sigil | Both soul binding +1 and +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Bonus Feat, Forgotten Secret | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Scrivened Sigil | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Eternal Bondage, Forgotten Secret, Vestige Expulsion | Both soul binding +1 and +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Bonus Feat, Hideous Channeling (Dual Weapon), Scrivened Sigil | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Forgotten Secret | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +4 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Imbue Item, Scrivened Sigil | Both soul binding +1 and +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +5 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Bonus Feat, Forgotten Secret | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +6 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Eternal Bondage, Scrivened Sigil | Either soul binding +1 or +1 level to an existing invocation class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features[edit]
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scrivened souls gain proficiency with simple weapons, light armor, and shields.
Invoking: At the indicated levels, you gain new invocations known, increased damage with eldritch blast, and an increase in invoker level as if you had also gained a level in an existing invocation class. You do not gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
Soul Binding: At each of the indicated levels, your soul binding ability improves as if you had also gained a level in an existing soul binding class. Your scrivened soul levels stack with the chosen class for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of your vestige-granted abilities, your ability to bind higher-level vestiges, and the number of vestiges you can bind at one time. You do not gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained.
Forgotten Secret (Su): At the indicated levels, you may choose one of the following secrets that your vestiges have whispered to. You must have at least one vestige bound to you in order to access any of the abilities granted by these secrets.
- Eldritch Cantrips: At every odd class level, choose one cantrip from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any one of these cantrips as a supernatural ability once per day at 1st level, and again at 4th and 7th level.
- Eldritch Counter: You can counterspell spells with an eldritch blast. Your blast must have a spell level equivalence equal to or exceeding the level of the spell that you're trying to counter. Similar to using dispel magic to counterspell, you do not need to first identify the spell when using this secret. You can either ready an action to counterspell or expend an immediate action to do so once per round.
- If you possess the Improved Counterspelling feat, the countered spell is turned back against its original caster as if it were fully affected by a spell turning spell. If the spell cannot be affected by spell turning, then it is merely counterspelled.
- Eldritch Essentials: At every odd class level, you gain a bonus blast shape or eldritch essential invocation of choice from any category you currently have access to.
- Furthermore, if you modify your eldritch blast with an essence that changes its damage type to acid, cold, electricity, or fire, you can change its energy type to any other of the four as a free action. You are treated as if you possessed the Energy Substitution feat for the purpose of meeting prerequisites. If you learn the Energy Admixture feat, you can apply it to your eldritch blasts, modifying both as desired.
- Eldritch Expertise: You gain the skill mastery ability of a rogue upon learning this secret, but you can only choose from the following skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Knowledge (any), Speak Language, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device. If any of these skills require an extended period of time to use, such as when researching a topic or crafting an item, the minimum required time to perform that action is halved.
- Eldritch Familiar: You gain the Obtain Familiar feat as a bonus feat, and any familiar you gain through the feat gains access to any one invocation you know. This improves to two invocations at 5th level and three at 10th level.
- You also gain Improved Familiar as a bonus feat at 6th level, upon which you may immediately have your current familiar transformed into the newly chosen form. You may select your familiar's form from any version of the feat so long as you meet the effective caster level limit for it. At the start of each day, you can transform your familiar into type form that you would normally be entitled to.
- Hideous Hurler: You can use your Hideous Channeling class feature with thrown weapons. Invoking your Hideous Blow in this manner charges up to one thrown melee weapon for every two class levels you possess, rounded up (to a maximum of five at 9th level).
- In addition, while using Hideous Channeling, you can extend the space you threaten and can make attacks of opportunity by 10 feet, but only with melee weapon(s) that are currently charged with your eldritch blast.
- You must be at least 6th level before you can learn this secret.
- Master Blaster: The range of your eldritch blast increases to medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per effective invocation level). If you know the Eldritch Spear blast shape and apply it to your blast, the range is increased to long range (400 feet + 40 feet per effective invocation level) instead. Your eldritch blasts always have an equivalent spell level equal to ½ your effective invocation level regardless of what invocations you apply to them.
- In addition, if your eldritch blast has the burst, cone, cylinder, emanation, line or spread shape due to one of your blast shape invocations, you can create spaces within the blast's area of effect that are not subject to it. The minimum dimension for these spaces is a 5-foot cube.
- Supernatural Transformation: You must be 10th level in order to learn this secret. Upon learning it, however, you discover that your eldritch blast has now become a supernatural ability. It still requires a somantic component, but it is no longer subject to spell resistance and using it no longer provoke an attack of opportunity in melee. Your ability to invoke a blast is still vulnerable to effects such as an antimagic field, however. You may apply any blast shape or eldritch essence invocations you know to your blasts as normal.
Hideous Channeling (Sp): While bound to at least one vestige, your Hideous Blow invocation becomes more potent. You can invoke it as a free action on your turn, and it lasts until the start of your next turn. Any time you hit with the chosen melee weapon, the target is also affected as if struck by your eldritch blast (including any eldritch essentials applied to the blast). This damage is in addition to any weapon damage that you deal with your attack, although you need not deal damage with this attack to trigger the eldritch blast effect. You cannot apply blast shape invocations while using Hideous Blow in this fashion. Using Hideous Blow in this way no longer triggers an attack of opportunity.
When you first channel your weapon in this way, any eldritch essential applied to it applies until the start of your next turn; you cannot change it each time you strike an opponent with your weapon.
Beginning at 6th level, you can use Hideous Channeling with two melee weapons simultaneously.
Occult Knowledge: You gain the Otherworldly Secrets invocation as a bonus invocation. Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your Intelligence modifier in place of Charisma when making Use Magic Device checks. At 6th level, this applies to any Wisdom-based skills you have 5 or more ranks in. And at 9th level, it allows you to use Intelligence in place of Strength or Dexterity when making attack rolls with any weapons infused with your eldritch channeling class feature.
Scrivened Sigil (Su): At 2nd level and again at every even level thereafter, choose one vestige that you currently have access to. After performing a one hour ritual that requires 100gp worth of special components per class level, that sigil becomes "scrivened" into your flesh, appearing as a tattoo, scar, brand, or some other form of permanent body art that is most appropriate to your character's belief system. Regardless of its form, that scrivened sigil is now a part of your very essence; even spells like limited wish or break enchantment cannot remove them, though the power of a [wish] or certain artifacts likely can at the DM's whim. Should this happen, however, you can always choose to perform another ritual in order to replace the lost sigil, either choosing the original vestige or a new one that you now have access to.
Once the sigil has been scrivened into your flesh, you are always considered to have formed a good pact with the associated vestige any time you attempt to bind with them. While a binding check is still required (with a +5 competence bonus due to the nature of the scrivened sigil), it is only to see if you can stave off the vestige's influence. What's more, since you no longer need to draw the vestige's sigil, binding one who's sigil you bear takes only a single full-round action. This increases to a move-equivalent action if you possess the Rapid Pact Making feat. This improves further still to a move/swift action at 10th level.
If you wish to have a higher-level vestige marked onto your flesh, you can always choose to hold off performing the ritual until you reach a level that would allow you to make a pact with the desired vestige.
Bonus Feats: At the indicated levels you gain a bonus feat from the following list, even if you don't meet the prerequisites unless specifically mentioned otherwise: Ability Focus (Eldritch Blast), Defense Against the Supernatural, Extra Invocation, Favored Vestige, Favored Vestige Focus, Ignore Special Requirements, Improved Binding, Infernal Adept, Rapid Pact Making, Rapid Recovery, or Skill Focus (any).
Vestige Expulsion (Ex): You may choose to expel any vestige you possess up to one time per day per class level. This requires a swift action to perform, and you must succeed at a binding check with a DC equal to the normal binding DC for the vestige you are attempting to expel. If attempting to expel a vestige whose sigil you have scrivened into your flesh, this increases the binding check's DC by +5, thus worsening your chance of expelling it.
If the check fails, the attempt counts against your daily limit and you may not attempt to expel another vestige for at least 5 rounds. You also immediately gain the sickened condition for 1d4 rounds and suffer 1d6 points of non-lethal damage per level of the vestige. If already sickened when this occurs, you become nauseated instead.
Imbue Item (Su): While you have at least one vestige bound to you, you can use its supernatural power to create magic items even if you do not know the spells or powers required to make the item (although you must know the appropriate item creation feat). You can substitute a Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + spell level for arcane spells or 25 + spell level for divine spells or psionic powers) in place of a required spell or power.
If the check succeeds, you can can create the item as if you had cast the required spell. If it fails, you cannot complete the item. You do not expend the XP or gp costs for making the item; your progress is simply arrested. You cannot retry this Use Magic Device check for the spell you were trying to duplicate again until after you've gained a new level.
Eternal Bondage (Su): At 5th level and again at 10th level, choose one of the vestiges for whom you have their sigil scrivened into your flesh. You have mastered your command of that vestige and from that point onward, you no longer need to summon and bind it to yourself, for it is now eternally bound to you.
In addition, this vestige no longer counts against the number of vestiges you can bind at one time. While you do still have to make a binding check each day to see if you can stave off its influence, you receive a +5 sacred or profane bonus (depending on your alignment) to the check. This bonus stacks with the competence bonus you gain from your Scrivened Sigil feature. In all other ways you are treated as if you had a good pact with the chosen vestige. You always have access to the vestige's granted abilities even if you would normally be denied them, such as through abilities that can forcefully remove a possessed entity or vestige from its host. However, its granted powers can still be suppressed in the presence of an antimagic field or similar effect as normal.
Only a wish or divine intervention can separate you from your eternally bound vestige—even if you, yourself wish to be free of it.
Class-Specific Feats[edit]
Extra Scrivening [General]
You may undergo the ritual to produce a scrivened sigil into your flesh.
Prerequisite: Scrivened Sigil class feature.
Benefit: You may undergo the ritual to create one additional scrivened sigil onto your flesh.
Normal: You are limited to a number of scrivened sigils you can have by your class level.
Special: You may learn this feat multiple times.
Extra Secret [General]
Your bound vestiges whisper an additional secret from beyond the nether.
Prerequisite: Secrets From Beyond class feature.
Benefit: You gain one additional secret that you meet the prerequisites for.
Normal: You are limited to a number of scrivened sigils you can have by your class level.
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