Sombrero (3.5e Vestige)

A vestige born from festivities for the dead

Sombrero, the Day of the Dead

Level: 1st

Binding DC: 15

Special requirement: Yes

Legend

This vestige is not exactly a former creature or person, that was lost to time and space, as many are.

This vestige is the shadow of festivities for the dead, taking much from joyful remembrance and ritual to appease the decesead. It manifests as the semi-real aspect of those holydays, granting abilities related to music and reverence to the dead.

Generally these kind of festivities are the most ancient, as piety towards the dead is preminent in all societies, be it the short-lived humans or the ever-lasting elves, and were originally created as a way to appease the dead and deaden the sorrow of the living. Because of this, Sombrero is a vestige of happy remembrance, that tries to uplift spirits, both of the dead and of the living, in a day were they may meeet again, without any fear.

It is born equally from the ancientness of these rituals and the stark contrast of death and joy, bound together in these festivities, in which all receive flowers and sweets, be they under the ground or above it.

This vestige is inspired by the festivity Day of the Dead.

Manifestation

You hear a joyful music in the air, as luminescent bones appear, composing a full skeleton that wears an elegant, yet colorful, suit and a sombrero and plays a little guitar. At this point the music stops, the skeleton looks at you and then it is broken apart, as a strong wind makes the bones, suit, sombrero, guitar and sweets swirl around. Many spectral voices ask what do you want.

Special Requirement

You must put some kind of sweet food or pastries in the binding circle.

Sign

In the dark or in shadowy areas, your face becomes faintly luminescent, making it appear as a colorful, luminous skull.

Influence

You are very respectful towards the dead and love to talk about death, eat sweets and listen to music.

Granted abilities

You are gifted the power of music, similarly to a bard, that influences even the undead, and the ability to create minor illusions.

Banjo de la Fiesta: You may summon, as a free action, a phantasmal banjo that floats near you. You gain the bardic music ability as a bard of your effective binder level (up to the 10th) and you may activate it with a full-round action. You may use only the countersong, fascinate and inspire courage abilities. Use your effective binder level as bard levels to determine the number of bardic music of uses per day you have. You add half your binder levels to your bard levels to determine any feature related to your bardic music, in addition to those here presented. After you stop using this ability you must wait 5 rounds before using it again. The banjo plays for you, so you don't have to keep using actions, after the music started, to maintain it.

Mariachi's Competence: You gain a +6 bonus to Perform check and you may use the skill untrained.

Requiem: You gain the benefit of the feat Requiem. You may influence undead with your bardic music.

Sombras de los Muertos: Three times per day you may replicate the spells ghost sound or silent image, in any combination. By the 5th level you may replicate the spell minor image two times per day. By the 10th level you may replicate the spell major image one time per day. They last for one round per Charisma modifier + 1 or as long as you keep using your bardic music, if used in combination with it (except for ghost sound that lasts one round per level, as normal). These are all supernatural abilities.

Author: the bluez

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