Sonitus (3.5e Class)

Sonitus

"The words out of your mouth are the various echoes of your demise."

A Sonitus is a man of thought, a man of action, a man of peace and a man of war. As varied as sound is, a Sonitus may be any of these or all of them but holds true to one thing: Sound is a way to control his reality. Sonitus are mortals that have been granted favor by the sound gods, a priviliged few who were exposed to the sonic forces in infancy, or those who were cast off by the favors of the bardic powers. Their roles in society are as spontaneous and random as the way they were created, but as fighters they are naturally talented and strong-headed, natural leaders though usually willing to give up the space to a candidate who may want the party's position more.

Making a Sonitus

As a Sonitus is a class that is created without training or any real distinction of race, age, or gender, they can be any type of character. They work well as the front-line fighter or the back-line shooter, using their chant abilities to boost their effectiveness or disable the enemy. They work well with someone who can heal in the party and are in dire need of some sort of sneaky influence in order for their full potential to be realized.

Abilities: The most important ability scores for a Sonitus to have are Dexterity and Charisma. Dexterity is vital as a movement-based class and in order to increase the benefits of their Chant ability and Charisma is vital for Chant, one of their main class features, is based in it. Intelligence and Strength come next in order of importance to a Sonitus, for close-combat capabilities and supplementing their decent skill points. Wisdom and Constitution are last on the list of important ability scores for a Sonitus, though they have their benefits in supplementing a Sonitus' will save or his hit points for that extra boost.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Like Bard.

Starting Gold: 4d4×10 gp (100 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Sonitus

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+0	+2	+2	Chant - Echo (Su), Holler (Su)
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+3	Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+3	Speed Increase +10 ft (Ex)
4th	+4	+1	+4	+4	Chant - Whisper (Su)
5th	+5	+1	+4	+4	Evasion
6th	+6/+1	+2	+5	+5	Sonic Resistance 5 (Ex)
7th	+7/+2	+2	+5	+5	White Noise (Su), Speed Increase +10 ft (Ex)
8th	+8/+3	+2	+6	+6	Chant - Vibrate (Su)
9th	+9/+4	+3	+6	+6	Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
10th	+10/+5	+3	+7	+7	Sonic Resistance 10 (Ex)
11th	+11/+6/+1	+3	+7	+7	Speed Increase +10 ft (Ex)
12th	+12/+7/+2	+4	+8	+8	Chant - Deafen (Su)
13th	+13/+8/+3	+4	+8	+8	Bonus Feat
14th	+14/+9/+4	+4	+9	+9	Speed Increase +10 ft (Ex)
15th	+15/+10/+5	+5	+9	+9	Pierce Silence (Su)
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+10	+10	Chant - Hypnotize (Su)
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Blindsense 60ft (Ex)
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Speed Increase +10 ft (Ex)
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Bonus Feat
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Chant - Pulse (Su), Speed Increase +10 ft (Ex)
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Tumble (Dex).

Sonitus (DnD Class)/Class Features

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Sonitus.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sonitus are proficient with all simple weapons and all martial weapons, with light armor, and no shields.

Chant (Su): The chant is something Sonitus are inherently born with, though few realize it at first. It is the beginning and the end of the manipulation of sound, and the chant is not even really a "chant" at all. The chant can be used 3 + CHA modifier per day, and has many different powers the Sonitus can unlock as he trains his body and mind for the craft that he was destined for. He can choose from each of the different chants he knows which he desires to utilize at any given use per day, but they all come from the same pool (IE, if the Sonitus has 5 uses per day and uses Echo and then Vibrate, he now has 3). These abilities are suppressed entirely by a silence spell, rendering the Sonitus' Chant useless.

      Echo - The Sonitus can imitate precisely a sound he just heard, from a doorbell to a gunshot. This
      ability does not allow him to produce a sound that is outside the range of a human's ability to speak,
      (IE, no sonic-booms or dog whistles, etc.), but he can imitate the sound at a lower volume that
      replicates it.

      Whisper - Using his control over the sound waves, the Sonitus represses his words for a distance up
      to his Sonitus level x 10 ft, effectively allowing him to transport a message to a person within this range
      OR throw his voice in order to effectively use "ghost sound".

      Vibrate - The Sonitus understands the power of sound to cause fine movement. He uses a hum to
      vibrate a weapon or a limb within 10 ft. of himself, allowing it to bypass hardness equal to 1/Sonitus
      lvl. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Sonitus' CHA or until the item leaves the
      effect's area.

      Deafen -The Sonitus produces a high-pitched wail that causes eardrums to burst, effecting a 30-ft.
      cone, causing deafness negated by a Fort save DC 10 + 1/2 Sonitus level + Cha, and stunning anyone
      caught within the cone regardless for 1d4 rounds.

      Hypnotize - The mellow tones that the Sonitus produces enduces a hypnotic euphoria. This ability acts
      as Charm Monster cast as his Sonitus level using his charisma modifier as his base stat.

      Pulse - The Sonitus has gained such control over his abilities that his rhythmic vibrations can accelerate
      or disrupt the cardiovascular activity of a single target within 10 ft. x his CHA modifier. The Pulse grants
      either a +6 STR, +6 CON to the target a number of rounds equal to the Sonitus' level + CHA or bestows
      a -6 STR, -6 CON penalty for the same amount of rounds, as chosen by the Sonitus.

Holler (Su): As a Sonitus begins to master the control over sound he posesses, he quickly discovers he can unhinge the limitations his body places upon him for an instant, just enough of an instant to release a scream or roar of overwhelming porportions. At first level, a Sonitus gains a breath attack that takes the shape of either a 60 ft. line or a 30 ft. cone (selected at first level) and deals 1d6+1 sonic damage per Sonitus level (so a 10^th level Sonitus bellow attack would deal 10d6+10 points of sonic damage). A creature caught in this attack may attempt a Fortitude save for half damage (DC 10 + ½ Sonitus HD + Sonitus Con modifier). Additionally, objects caught in the attack that are fragile or crystaline take double damage unless their are being held by a creature who succeeds on a Reflex save to negate the damage to them (DC 10 + ½ Sonitus HD + Sonitus Con modifier). Holler can only be used once every 2d4 rounds.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): The Sonitus' close ties to the sounds that permeate the air allow him to perceive more easily would-be threats around him. At second level, the Sonitus can no longer be caught flat-footed.

Speed Increase (Ex): At 3rd, 7th, 11th, 14th, 18th, and 20th level, the Sonitus uses the sonic pressure to move himself faster, increasing his base speed by 10 ft. each time. This ability is unique in that it applies to any speed the Sonitus posesses, supernaturally or by birth.

Evasion (Ex): At eighth level, a Sonitus can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with deft precision and agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Sonitus is wearing light or no armor. A helpless Sonitus does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Sonic Resistance (Ex): A Sonitus will always have at least some control over the sound around him, and will have it within his power to bend sounds around his body, seeming to simply shrug off damaging sounds. At sixth level a Sonitus gains sonic resistance, allowing him to ignore the first 5 points of damage he takes from any attack that deals sonic damage. This sonic resistance improves by 5 at 10th level, allowing the Sonitus to ignore 10 points of sound damage.

White Noise (Su): A Sonitus eventually masters his control over sound to the point that he can create the semblance of sound without doing anything to create it. Once the Sonitus master his powers to this degree he gains the ability to cloud himself in background noise. This noise is a nearly inaudible hum that seems to be coming from all directions at once to anyone standing near the Sonitus. At fourth level a Sonitus and everything occupying a square he currently occupies cannot be seen properly through the use of tremorsense, blindsight, or blindsense and is effectively invisible against opponents who rely solely on those abilities. Creatures who depend solely on these abilities are still aware that something is there, they simply can't make out what it is. If any opponents use both ordinary sight and one or more of these abilities, and can see the Sonitus with their normal form of sight, then they are not affected by this ability. A creature is not affected by this ability if, in that creatures description, it specifies that the creatures has access to one of these abilities through the ability to pinpoint location through smell or some other ability that would not be affected though vibrations or sound.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At ninth level, the disturbances of the sound around the Sonitus give him the ability to pre-empt strikes from all sides, making him immune to flanking. This renders the rogue's sneak attack ability and similar abilities useless, unless the rogue is 4 or more levels higher than the Sonitus, allowing the assailant to move faster than the Sonitus can interpret freely.

Bonus Feat: At 13th, 18th, and 19th level, the Sonitus gains a bonus feat to do with as he pleases.

Pierce Silence (Ex): At 15th level, the Sonitus has gained such control over sound that he is able to ignore the magical absense of it and can produce it without the air to carry it. When using his Chant or Holler abilities, the Sonitus may create noise and use his abilities even in the presence of a magical silence, rendering him partially immune.

Blindsense: The Sonitus has become so aware of the workings of the sound and the pressures that it produces that the disturbance of it within a 60-ft. radius off of him are immediately noticed, allowing him to operate in situations of blindness more effectively than the average character. This sense will identify a silence spell within the range with a successful sense motive check DC 15, but is not able to work inside an area of a silence spell.

Halfling Sonitus Starting Package

Armor: Studded Leather (+3 AC, armor check penalty -1, speed 30 ft., 20lb.)

Weapons: Scythe (1d8, crit x4, two-handed, lb., slashing).

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Balance	4	Dex	-1
Climb (cc)	2	Str	-1
Intimidate	4	CHA	-
Jump	4	Str	-1
Listen	4	Wis	-
Move Silently	4	Dex	-
Tumble	4	Dex	-

Feat: Power Attack.

Gear: Backpack with flask of water, one day's trail rations, an inkpen, 1 oz. of black ink, and 10 tindertwigs.

Gold: 2d4 gp.

Campaign Information

Playing a Sonitus

Religion: Sonitus often feel a deeper connection to the planes, causing them to seek out religion or spirituality through a buried connection with their powers, though very few, if any, understand this desire. The religions they pursue vary as much as their personality types, and those who do not seek out a religion often vigorously curse it as a crutch in order to convince themselves of the impropriety of their seemingly dauntless draw toward the temples.

Other Classes: A Sonitus is naturally adept at what they do, often lending them a bit of a cocky streak when dealing with classes that require hard work such as Wizards or Clerics. This naturally irritating "better than you" nature can get the better of some hard workers and lead them to opt out of dealing with the "child". In a group of young, seemingly "gifted" individuals, the Sonitus tends to be more personable and just vaguely more down-to-earth (though this might just be everyone else's ego making his seem not quite as big). This fairly defining character quirk is only for a majority of Sonitus by a small margin, though, and while it is something to look out for, it certainly doesn't apply to all of the Sonitus chosen.

Combat: The role of the Sonitus is right alongside the front-lines with the fighter. Though his charming wit can be great at dinner parties, his real winning characteristic is his uncanny ability with a weapon and his favorable ability to avoid damage and warn the party of ambushes.

Advancement: <-Typical advancement options for characters with this class. Include desirable multiclass options->.

Sonitus in the World

“	I earn the right to look more lazy than you 'cause I'm just that far above you in skill...	”
—Ketko, Half-Elf Sonitus

Daily Life: Many are nomads and many are commoners.

Notables: Ketko, Half-Elf Sonitus.

Organizations: They don't have known organizations.

NPC Reactions: Many treat them as bards.

Sonitus Lore/ Bardic Knowledge

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

<-the appropriate skills->

DC	Result
5	A Sonitus is a gifted fighter with a penchant for speed.
10	The abilities of a Sonitus actually rely on the ability to manipulate sound.
15	Sonitus are a rare set of people who are mistaken usually for spellcasters.
20	A Sonitus origins are actually divine, often having been bestowed the gift directly by a god as an infant or while still in the womb.

Sonitus in the Game

Similar to spell-lest Bard.

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