Psychic Hound PrC [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psychic Hound PrC [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Khaine
07-21-05, 05:51 AM Psychic Hound
“Hrr...Don’t bother resisting, your essence is mine.”
Serrek, psychic hound

In a world teeming with psionic creatures, the development of individuals skilled in tracking psionic beings is a foregone conclusion. The products of months or years of abusive, degrading, and dehumanizing training, the psychic hound, often shortened to simply hound, are the answer Athasian society has found to hunting down psionic fugitives. Mostly drawing slave stock, the training process for a psychic hound is intentionally horrible, both to being out the desired abilities and to reinforce the hound’s subservience to his masters. As a result, only the most depraved would willing seek to become a hound. Psychic hounds are primarily used to tract down fugitives and escaped slaves who possess psionic abilities, and one such occasions they are almost always accompanied by non-psionic handlers to keep the hound on course. Humans, half-elves dwarves, and elves are generally selected to become hounds, with mul psychic hounds being rare due to a mul’s value. Thri-kreen, aarakocra, and halflings are generally too unmanageable as hounds to be feasible, while half-giants are seen as too dangerous to be trained or managed as a hound.
Hit Die: d8.

Requirements
To qualify to become a Psychic Hound, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Skills: Intimidate 4 ranks, Psicraft 3 ranks, Survival 5 ranks
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Psionic Body, Track
Psionics: Must be able to manifest the psychic tracking power
Special: A prospective psychic hound must go through and survive the rigorous and highly abusive psionic training that opens them to their darker instincts.

The Psychic Hound
Level Atk Fort Ref Will Special
1 +1 +2 +2 +0 Bonus Powers, Hound’s Mind
2 +2 +3 +3 +0 Psychic Vampirism, The Hunger
3 +3 +3 +3 +1 Bonus Feat
4 +4 +4 +4 +1 Hound’s Strength
5 +5 +4 +4 +1 Psionic Resilience (5/magic)
6 +6 +5 +5 +2 Bonus Feat
7 +7 +5 +5 +2 Consume Essence
8 +8 +6 +6 +2 Psionic Resilience (10/magic)
9 +9 +6 +6 +3 Bonus Feat
10 +10 +7 +7 +3 Transfiguration

Power Powers Max.
Level Points Known Level
1 1 0 1st
2 4 1 1st
3 7 2 2nd
4 11 3 2nd
5 17 4 3rd
6 21 5 3rd
7 27 6 4th
8 33 7 4th
9 39 8 5th
10 45 9 5th

Class Skills
Psychic Hounds have the following skills as class skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill points per level: 4 + Intelligence bonus

Class Features
All of the following are features of the Psychic Hound prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A psychic hound is proficient in all simple weapons and martial weapons, and with light and medium armor, but not with shields of any type.
Power Points/Day: A psychic hound manifests psionic powers. His ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is shown on table 3-x. In addition, a psychic hound receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score. His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items. If a psychic hound has power points from a different class, those points are pooled together and usable to manifest powers from either class. Bonus power points from having a high ability score can be gained only for the character's highest psionic class.
Powers Known: Psychic hounds gain psionic powers as shown on the table above. They choose their powers from the psychic warrior power list. A psychic hound can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level. The total number of powers a psychic hound can manifest per day is limited only by his daily power points. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against a psychic hound’s powers is 10 + the power's level + the psychic hound's Wisdom modifier.
Maximum Power Level Known: A psychic hound gains the ability to learn one 1st-level power when he takes his first level in this class. As he attains new levels, a psychic hound gains the ability to master more complex powers as shown on the table above. To learn or manifest a power, a psychic hound must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the power's level.
Bonus Powers: At 1st level, a psychic hound gains the following psi-like abilities, each usable three times per day: aura reading, claws of the beast, grip of iron, and psychic scent. Also, the hound can now manifest detect psionics as a psi-like ability at will. The manifester level for all of these powers is equal to the hound’s class level..
Hound’s Mind: The process for training psychic hounds is horrifically abusive, and, while it unleashes the hound’s untamed psionic powers, it permanently damages the hound’s mind. A character’s Intelligence and Charisma scores are each permanently reduced by two points upon taking his first level in this prestige class.
Psychic Vampirism: Upon reaching 2nd level, a psychic hound gains the supernatural ability to drain the power points of other psionic individuals for his own use. As a standard action, the hound can drain 2d4 power points from a psionic individual that he has grappled or otherwise helpless. The victim can make a Will save (DC 10 + the hound’s class level + the hound’s Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect. If the drain is successful, the stolen power points are added to the hound’s reserve, although power points over the hound’s normal maximum dissipate at the rate of one per round. Obviously, this ability has no effect against characters without a power point reserve or whose reserve is empty. A psychic hound can use this ability at will.
The Hunger: Once a hound has tasted the psionic essence of another, he becomes hopelessly addicted to the indescribable sensation. Any time a hound is within 60 ft of another psionic being, he must make a Will save (DC 15 + 1 per successful save) once per minute of rush the individual and attempt to drain its psionic essence. Once the hound has drained every power point it can from the individual, he can act normally, but until then he must continue his attempts as long as he is within range.
Bonus Feats: At 3rd level, a hound gains a bonus feat, which must be chosen from the psionic feat list. The hound must meet the prerequisites for any feat that he selects. A psychic hound receives additional bonus feats at 6th level and 9th level.
Hound’s Strength: At 4th level, a psychic hound gains the animal affinity power as a bonus power. Also, the hound can manifest this power at the reduced cost of 2 power points as long as he is psionically focused.
Psionic Resilience: At 5th level, a psychic hound gains the ability to shrug off wounds due to his psionic strength. As long as the hound retains his psionic focus, he enjoys damage reduction of 5/magic. This increases to 10/magic once the hound reaches 8th level.
Consume Essence: At 7th level, a hound’s vampiric powers increase, enabling him to wrench psionic energy from the very life force of psionic individuals. As a standard action, the hound can inflict one point of Constitution damage on a psionic individual that he has grappled (or otherwise helpless) whose power point reserve is empty. The victim can make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the hound’s class level + the hound’s Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect. If the drain is successful, the hound adds one power point to his reserve, but as above, power points over the hound’s normal maximum dissipate at the rate of one per round. This ability has no effect against non-psionic characters. A psychic hound can use this ability at will.
Transfiguration: At 10th level, a psychic hound undergoes a profound physiological change, becoming wholly dependant on psionic energy. The hound’s type changes to aberration, and, in addition to gaining darkvision of 60ft, he no longer needs food, water, or air to sustain himself. As long as the hound has even a single power point in reserve, he does not need normal sustenance and is uneffected by anything less then abysmal heat (see DS3.5 p.59). The hound can no longer regain power points in the normal fashion after undergoing this transfiguration, however, and must drain them from other psionic individuals to replenish his reserve.
Sysane
07-21-05, 07:48 AM Cool PrC. It reminds me of the Rifts' RPG psi-stalker.

One concern though. The 4th level ability Hound’s Strength seems a little to broken. Changing it to that the character has to spend power points in order get the buff to all three stats for a # of rounds equal to the their class level would bring it more into balance.
Khaine
07-21-05, 08:42 AM Cool PrC. It reminds me of the Rifts' RPG psi-stalker.

One concern though. The 4th level ability Hound’s Strength seems a little to broken. Changing it to that the character has to spend power points in order get the buff to all three stats for a # of rounds equal to the their class level whould bring more into balance.

:) They were based on the psi-stalker and a character from the old X-Men comic from waaaaay back. Glad you like them. Not exactly a PC thing though :devil:

Just changed hound's strength over to a free animal affinity power with a boost. It's good when I remember things :doh:
Sysane
07-21-05, 08:52 AM :) They were based on the psi-stalker and a character from the old X-Men comic from waaaaay back. Glad you like them. Not exactly a PC thing though :devil::
Would that be Rachel Summers, aka Phoenix from the "Days of Future Past" stint of Uncanny X-Men?
Just changed hound's strength over to a free animal affinity power with a boost. It's good when I remember things :doh
Good thinking ;)
Khaine
07-21-05, 09:55 AM Would that be Rachel Summers, aka Phoenix from the "Days of Future Past" stint of Uncanny X-Men?

Yup :smirk: Glad I'm not the only one that remembers that stuff, makes me feel a little less old. :)

Good thinking ;)

Thanx ;)
flip
07-21-05, 10:56 AM Yup :smirk: Glad I'm not the only one that remembers that stuff, makes me feel a little less old. :)

Dude, we're all old here. The setting has been out of print for 10 years, and it was an "older gamer's" setting back then (meaning that it appealed more a more mature audience (well, and power gamers, but they're not known for sticking around)) ;)

As I recall, I'm one of the youngest from the old community, and I was born in the 70's ....
Kalthandrix
07-21-05, 11:00 AM I turn 28 in two weeks, and have been playing D&D for 18. I have been a loyal fan and player of DS since the first book in the PP series came out. So I have to side with flip on this- we're all getting old! :D
Sysane
07-21-05, 11:07 AM I turn 28 in two weeks, and have been playing D&D for 18. I have been a loyal fan and player of DS since the first book in the PP series came out. So I have to side with flip on this- we're all getting old! :D

I'm already there. I'm 33 and have been playing DS since it first came out. <<takes walker to nearest gaming store>>
Pennarin
07-21-05, 02:14 PM Transfiguration: At 10th level, a psychic hound undergoes a profound physiological change, becoming wholly dependant on psionic energy. The hound’s type changes to aberration, and, in addition to gaining darkvision of 60ft, he no longer needs food, water, or air to sustain himself. As long as the hound has even a single power point in reserve, he does not need normal sustenance and is unaffected by anything less than abysmal heat. The hound can no longer regain power points in the normal fashion after undergoing this transfiguration, however, and must drain them from other psionic individuals to replenish his reserve.
That part is abusively vague.
Ruhl-Than Sage
07-21-05, 03:38 PM I'm already there. I'm 33 and have been playing DS since it first came out. <<takes walker to nearest gaming store>>

Wow, I guess I'm probably the youngest person on the boards to have run games out of the Original box set shortly after it came out, and I'll be 24 in september. It was the 1st campaign setting I ever bought :) .
Khaine
07-23-05, 02:29 AM Dude, we're all old here. The setting has been out of print for 10 years, and it was an "older gamer's" setting back then (meaning that it appealed more a more mature audience (well, and power gamers, but they're not known for sticking around)) ;)

As I recall, I'm one of the youngest from the old community, and I was born in the 70's ....

Yeah, anyone that remembers the glory days of DS would be getting on in years :) I'm 29 myself. Geuss that's one of the reasons I hang out here.
Khaine
07-23-05, 02:37 AM That part is abusively vague.

Would "and is unaffected by environmental head of anything less than abysmal degree (see DS3)." be more clear?
Pennarin
07-23-05, 04:25 AM Would "and is unaffected by environmental head of anything less than abysmal degree (see DS3)." be more clear?
It's still unclear, and I can't make sense of that phrase. Sorry. :blush: Maybe its me and I'm not aware of all the quirks english can take...

You seem to want to say that the guy becomes immune the the Athasian extremes of cold and heat. If its the case, I suggest looking in DS3 in the section on temperature, as well as the endure elements spell, for the correct wording and the exact conditions for the ability.
Ruhl-Than Sage
07-23-05, 01:24 PM Would "and is unaffected by environmental head of anything less than abysmal degree (see DS3)." be more clear?
:heehee Enviromental head of abysmal degree

"And is uneffected by anything less then abysmal heat (DS3.5 p.59)"
Khaine
07-24-05, 02:08 AM :heehee Enviromental head of abysmal degree

"And is uneffected by anything less then abysmal heat (DS3.5 p.59)"

Fingerz spasmmmingg, can'''t typppe ! :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Khaine 07-21-05, 05:51 AM	Psychic Hound “Hrr...Don’t bother resisting, your essence is mine.” Serrek, psychic hound In a world teeming with psionic creatures, the development of individuals skilled in tracking psionic beings is a foregone conclusion. The products of months or years of abusive, degrading, and dehumanizing training, the psychic hound, often shortened to simply hound, are the answer Athasian society has found to hunting down psionic fugitives. Mostly drawing slave stock, the training process for a psychic hound is intentionally horrible, both to being out the desired abilities and to reinforce the hound’s subservience to his masters. As a result, only the most depraved would willing seek to become a hound. Psychic hounds are primarily used to tract down fugitives and escaped slaves who possess psionic abilities, and one such occasions they are almost always accompanied by non-psionic handlers to keep the hound on course. Humans, half-elves dwarves, and elves are generally selected to become hounds, with mul psychic hounds being rare due to a mul’s value. Thri-kreen, aarakocra, and halflings are generally too unmanageable as hounds to be feasible, while half-giants are seen as too dangerous to be trained or managed as a hound. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To qualify to become a Psychic Hound, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria. Base Attack Bonus: +3 Skills: Intimidate 4 ranks, Psicraft 3 ranks, Survival 5 ranks Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Psionic Body, Track Psionics: Must be able to manifest the psychic tracking power Special: A prospective psychic hound must go through and survive the rigorous and highly abusive psionic training that opens them to their darker instincts. The Psychic Hound Level Atk Fort Ref Will Special 1 +1 +2 +2 +0 Bonus Powers, Hound’s Mind 2 +2 +3 +3 +0 Psychic Vampirism, The Hunger 3 +3 +3 +3 +1 Bonus Feat 4 +4 +4 +4 +1 Hound’s Strength 5 +5 +4 +4 +1 Psionic Resilience (5/magic) 6 +6 +5 +5 +2 Bonus Feat 7 +7 +5 +5 +2 Consume Essence 8 +8 +6 +6 +2 Psionic Resilience (10/magic) 9 +9 +6 +6 +3 Bonus Feat 10 +10 +7 +7 +3 Transfiguration Power Powers Max. Level Points Known Level 1 1 0 1st 2 4 1 1st 3 7 2 2nd 4 11 3 2nd 5 17 4 3rd 6 21 5 3rd 7 27 6 4th 8 33 7 4th 9 39 8 5th 10 45 9 5th Class Skills Psychic Hounds have the following skills as class skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Tumble (Dex). Skill points per level: 4 + Intelligence bonus Class Features All of the following are features of the Psychic Hound prestige class. Weapons and Armor Proficiency: A psychic hound is proficient in all simple weapons and martial weapons, and with light and medium armor, but not with shields of any type. Power Points/Day: A psychic hound manifests psionic powers. His ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is shown on table 3-x. In addition, a psychic hound receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score. His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items. If a psychic hound has power points from a different class, those points are pooled together and usable to manifest powers from either class. Bonus power points from having a high ability score can be gained only for the character's highest psionic class. Powers Known: Psychic hounds gain psionic powers as shown on the table above. They choose their powers from the psychic warrior power list. A psychic hound can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level. The total number of powers a psychic hound can manifest per day is limited only by his daily power points. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against a psychic hound’s powers is 10 + the power's level + the psychic hound's Wisdom modifier. Maximum Power Level Known: A psychic hound gains the ability to learn one 1st-level power when he takes his first level in this class. As he attains new levels, a psychic hound gains the ability to master more complex powers as shown on the table above. To learn or manifest a power, a psychic hound must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the power's level. Bonus Powers: At 1st level, a psychic hound gains the following psi-like abilities, each usable three times per day: aura reading, claws of the beast, grip of iron, and psychic scent. Also, the hound can now manifest detect psionics as a psi-like ability at will. The manifester level for all of these powers is equal to the hound’s class level.. Hound’s Mind: The process for training psychic hounds is horrifically abusive, and, while it unleashes the hound’s untamed psionic powers, it permanently damages the hound’s mind. A character’s Intelligence and Charisma scores are each permanently reduced by two points upon taking his first level in this prestige class. Psychic Vampirism: Upon reaching 2nd level, a psychic hound gains the supernatural ability to drain the power points of other psionic individuals for his own use. As a standard action, the hound can drain 2d4 power points from a psionic individual that he has grappled or otherwise helpless. The victim can make a Will save (DC 10 + the hound’s class level + the hound’s Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect. If the drain is successful, the stolen power points are added to the hound’s reserve, although power points over the hound’s normal maximum dissipate at the rate of one per round. Obviously, this ability has no effect against characters without a power point reserve or whose reserve is empty. A psychic hound can use this ability at will. The Hunger: Once a hound has tasted the psionic essence of another, he becomes hopelessly addicted to the indescribable sensation. Any time a hound is within 60 ft of another psionic being, he must make a Will save (DC 15 + 1 per successful save) once per minute of rush the individual and attempt to drain its psionic essence. Once the hound has drained every power point it can from the individual, he can act normally, but until then he must continue his attempts as long as he is within range. Bonus Feats: At 3rd level, a hound gains a bonus feat, which must be chosen from the psionic feat list. The hound must meet the prerequisites for any feat that he selects. A psychic hound receives additional bonus feats at 6th level and 9th level. Hound’s Strength: At 4th level, a psychic hound gains the animal affinity power as a bonus power. Also, the hound can manifest this power at the reduced cost of 2 power points as long as he is psionically focused. Psionic Resilience: At 5th level, a psychic hound gains the ability to shrug off wounds due to his psionic strength. As long as the hound retains his psionic focus, he enjoys damage reduction of 5/magic. This increases to 10/magic once the hound reaches 8th level. Consume Essence: At 7th level, a hound’s vampiric powers increase, enabling him to wrench psionic energy from the very life force of psionic individuals. As a standard action, the hound can inflict one point of Constitution damage on a psionic individual that he has grappled (or otherwise helpless) whose power point reserve is empty. The victim can make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the hound’s class level + the hound’s Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect. If the drain is successful, the hound adds one power point to his reserve, but as above, power points over the hound’s normal maximum dissipate at the rate of one per round. This ability has no effect against non-psionic characters. A psychic hound can use this ability at will. Transfiguration: At 10th level, a psychic hound undergoes a profound physiological change, becoming wholly dependant on psionic energy. The hound’s type changes to aberration, and, in addition to gaining darkvision of 60ft, he no longer needs food, water, or air to sustain himself. As long as the hound has even a single power point in reserve, he does not need normal sustenance and is uneffected by anything less then abysmal heat (see DS3.5 p.59). The hound can no longer regain power points in the normal fashion after undergoing this transfiguration, however, and must drain them from other psionic individuals to replenish his reserve.
Sysane 07-21-05, 07:48 AM	Cool PrC. It reminds me of the Rifts' RPG psi-stalker. One concern though. The 4th level ability Hound’s Strength seems a little to broken. Changing it to that the character has to spend power points in order get the buff to all three stats for a # of rounds equal to the their class level would bring it more into balance.
Khaine 07-21-05, 08:42 AM	Cool PrC. It reminds me of the Rifts' RPG psi-stalker. One concern though. The 4th level ability Hound’s Strength seems a little to broken. Changing it to that the character has to spend power points in order get the buff to all three stats for a # of rounds equal to the their class level whould bring more into balance. :) They were based on the psi-stalker and a character from the old X-Men comic from waaaaay back. Glad you like them. Not exactly a PC thing though :devil: Just changed hound's strength over to a free animal affinity power with a boost. It's good when I remember things :doh:
Sysane 07-21-05, 08:52 AM	:) They were based on the psi-stalker and a character from the old X-Men comic from waaaaay back. Glad you like them. Not exactly a PC thing though :devil:: Would that be Rachel Summers, aka Phoenix from the "Days of Future Past" stint of Uncanny X-Men? Just changed hound's strength over to a free animal affinity power with a boost. It's good when I remember things :doh Good thinking ;)
Khaine 07-21-05, 09:55 AM	Would that be Rachel Summers, aka Phoenix from the "Days of Future Past" stint of Uncanny X-Men? Yup :smirk: Glad I'm not the only one that remembers that stuff, makes me feel a little less old. :) Good thinking ;) Thanx ;)
flip 07-21-05, 10:56 AM	Yup :smirk: Glad I'm not the only one that remembers that stuff, makes me feel a little less old. :) Dude, we're all old here. The setting has been out of print for 10 years, and it was an "older gamer's" setting back then (meaning that it appealed more a more mature audience (well, and power gamers, but they're not known for sticking around)) ;) As I recall, I'm one of the youngest from the old community, and I was born in the 70's ....
Kalthandrix 07-21-05, 11:00 AM	I turn 28 in two weeks, and have been playing D&D for 18. I have been a loyal fan and player of DS since the first book in the PP series came out. So I have to side with flip on this- we're all getting old! :D
Sysane 07-21-05, 11:07 AM	I turn 28 in two weeks, and have been playing D&D for 18. I have been a loyal fan and player of DS since the first book in the PP series came out. So I have to side with flip on this- we're all getting old! :D I'm already there. I'm 33 and have been playing DS since it first came out. <<takes walker to nearest gaming store>>
Pennarin 07-21-05, 02:14 PM	Transfiguration: At 10th level, a psychic hound undergoes a profound physiological change, becoming wholly dependant on psionic energy. The hound’s type changes to aberration, and, in addition to gaining darkvision of 60ft, he no longer needs food, water, or air to sustain himself. As long as the hound has even a single power point in reserve, he does not need normal sustenance and is unaffected by anything less than abysmal heat. The hound can no longer regain power points in the normal fashion after undergoing this transfiguration, however, and must drain them from other psionic individuals to replenish his reserve. That part is abusively vague.
Ruhl-Than Sage 07-21-05, 03:38 PM	I'm already there. I'm 33 and have been playing DS since it first came out. <<takes walker to nearest gaming store>> Wow, I guess I'm probably the youngest person on the boards to have run games out of the Original box set shortly after it came out, and I'll be 24 in september. It was the 1st campaign setting I ever bought :) .
Khaine 07-23-05, 02:29 AM	Dude, we're all old here. The setting has been out of print for 10 years, and it was an "older gamer's" setting back then (meaning that it appealed more a more mature audience (well, and power gamers, but they're not known for sticking around)) ;) As I recall, I'm one of the youngest from the old community, and I was born in the 70's .... Yeah, anyone that remembers the glory days of DS would be getting on in years :) I'm 29 myself. Geuss that's one of the reasons I hang out here.
Khaine 07-23-05, 02:37 AM	That part is abusively vague. Would "and is unaffected by environmental head of anything less than abysmal degree (see DS3)." be more clear?
Pennarin 07-23-05, 04:25 AM	Would "and is unaffected by environmental head of anything less than abysmal degree (see DS3)." be more clear? It's still unclear, and I can't make sense of that phrase. Sorry. :blush: Maybe its me and I'm not aware of all the quirks english can take... You seem to want to say that the guy becomes immune the the Athasian extremes of cold and heat. If its the case, I suggest looking in DS3 in the section on temperature, as well as the endure elements spell, for the correct wording and the exact conditions for the ability.
Ruhl-Than Sage 07-23-05, 01:24 PM	Would "and is unaffected by environmental head of anything less than abysmal degree (see DS3)." be more clear? :heehee Enviromental head of abysmal degree "And is uneffected by anything less then abysmal heat (DS3.5 p.59)"
Khaine 07-24-05, 02:08 AM	:heehee Enviromental head of abysmal degree "And is uneffected by anything less then abysmal heat (DS3.5 p.59)" Fingerz spasmmmingg, can'''t typppe ! :)