The Bone Shaper: A new PrC (PEACH) [Archive] - Wizards Community

The Bone Shaper: A new PrC (PEACH) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Hyooz
11-12-07, 01:29 PM This is a new PrC I just finished up, and am considering using it for a new campaign coming up (either a BBEG, or let my PCs have at it) and I'm hoping to address the inevitable balance issues and the iffy capstone ability.

Mostly the capstone, I really wasn't sure what to do, and what I have just seems... lacking. Help with that?

---
Bone Shaper
Prestige Class
By Hyooz

“Crack, pop. Aww, aint that a shame.” – Devon Markus, Bone Shaper

Within us all there is an inner structure keeping us standing, keeping us firm and stiff. Most take this for granted, thinking bone little more than a lifeless, brittle structure and only consider it when they have fractured a limb or a rib is being driven into their heart. A scant few, after dabbling in the necromantic arts, realize the untapped potential of this structure, and begin to make use of it.

Adventures: A Bone Shaper will typically be found amongst an otherwise ordinary adventuring group. There is no particular quest that sets these people apart from any others, so they typically adventure for whatever reason they were already adventuring for.

Characteristics: Most Bone Shapers share an innate understanding of the intricacies of the body, and maintain a certain fascination with it. They also tend to be somewhat… off compared to other ‘normal’ folk, realized by their willingness to distort and reshape their own bodies for the sake of convenience and weaponry.

Alignment: Two Bone Shapers who meet are rarely of the same alignment. There is no true prevalence of law or chaos or good or evil among the Shapers, as the decision to become one is borne of only a willingness to use one’s body for one’s cause.

Background: Many Bone Shapers begin as sorcerers who seek more martial proficiency, but realize that normal weapons and armor stunt their own, natural abilities. Some are rogues or bards with enough magical knowledge to distort their bodies to meet their needs.

Role: The Bone Shaper acts as both a light caster and a dexterous combatant. Rarely on the front lines, as he is still quite frail, but typically close enough to slide a blade into openings in his opponent’s armor.

Game Rule Information:
A Bone Shaper has the following game stats.
Abilities: The key abilities for a Bone Shaper are Dexterity and Charisma/Wisdom/Intelligence, the latter depending on the ability his spellcasting depends on.
Hit Die: d6

Requirements
To qualify to become a Bone Shaper, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Base Attack Bonus: +3
Skills: Knowledge (Anatomy) 8 Ranks, Spellcraft 8 Ranks
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast at least 3 spells with the Necromancy descriptor.

Class skills
The Bone Shaper’s class skills (and the key ability modifier for each skill) are:
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class features
All of the following are class features of the Bone Shaper prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Bone Shaper gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spellcasting:

Shape Bone/Warp Bone (Su): The Bone Shaper gains the ability to bend bone as he pleases as if he has cast Shape Bone or Warp Bone (as the spells Shape Wood or Warp Wood with a different medium.) He can cast these spells up to three times/day, in any combination (i.e. cast Shape Bone twice, and Warp Bone once.)

Strip Bone (Su): The Bone Shaper gains the ability to remove dead flesh from bone 3 times per day. This is a standard action, after which the flesh simply dissolves away, leaving the bone clean and safe to touch. This does not effect living or animated flesh, only dead corpses.

Bone Armor (Ex): Soon after discovering the versatility of the bone within them, the Bone Shaper learns to draw bone just above the surface of his skin to act as a sort of armor. This is reflected in a +1 natural armor bonus at 2nd level, +3 at 5th, and a +5 at 8th. Drawing the bone to the surface is a painful process however, and inflicts a loss of as many hit points as the armor bonus it grants. These hit points cannot be healed by normal means, but are recovered automatically when the Bone Shaper retracts his armor.

There is no arcane spell failure chance due to this armor, and it does not limit dexterity or movement. Activating or retracting the armor is a full-round action.

Bone Weapon (Ex): The Bone Shaper can use Shape Bone to fashion a weapons from bone. This can be either a throwing weapon or a melee weapon.

The range increment for improvised throwing weapon is 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 20/x2.) The Bone Shaper is automatically proficient with his improvised throwing weapons. Anyone else who wishes to use them must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat to avoid the -4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage, some do piercing damage instead.

Improvised melee weapons do 1d6 points of damage (crit 20/x2.) The Bone Shaper is automatically proficient with his improvised weapons, others must spend a proficiency feat to avoid the -4 penalty.

Skeletal Sword (Ex): As a full-round action, a Bone Shaper can extend or retract a Skeletal Sword from his forearm. This blade is identical in most ways (except visually) to a scimitar of size appropriate to the wielder. Visually, it is a blade of bone extending from within the Bone Shaper’s forearm.

For instance, a medium Bone Shaper forms a medium scimitar that is wielded as a one-handed weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 18-20/x2.) Bone Shapers who are larger or smaller than medium form Skeletal Swords identical to scimitars appropriate for their size, with corresponding change to the blade’s damage. The wielder gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.

The Skeletal Sword extends from above the wrist, thus leaving the hand free to preform other tasks. The sword is undisarmable, but vulerable to normal sundering rules. If sundered, the Bone Shaper suffers 1d4 damage per level of enhancement bonus on the sword. The Sword can then only be restored through either a Heal spell, or 24 hours of meditative healing, or 1 minute of focused magical healing though expending a spell slot of at least (3 + enhancement bonus/2) levels. Until the sword is restored, the limb it extended from is useless.

A Skeletal Sword is a +1 weapon, and improves as the character gains levels. At 4th level, and every two levels thereafter, the Bone Caster gains an effective +1 bonus to his weapon. Though the actual enhancement bonus may never exceed +4 or go below +1, he may choose any appropriate combination of weapon special abilities to combine and meet his weapon’s effective total effective bonus.

When extending his Sword, the Bone Shaper suffers 3 points of hit point damage that cannot be healed through normal means. When the sword is retracted, these hit points heal automatically. Extending or retracting the Sword is a move-equivalent action.

Adding or removing special abilities takes 24 hours of meditation

Sneak Attack (Ex): Starting at 4th level, the Bone Shaper gains sneak attack with his Skeletal Sword as a rogue. This starts at +1d6 damage and increases 1d6 every two levels of Bone Shaper thereafter. If the Bone Shaper already had sneak attack, it increases at these levels as it normally would. This applies only to attacks with the Skeletal Sword.

Skeletal Dexterity (Ex): Through practice and mastery, the Bone Shaper is now able to apply his dexterity bonus to attack instead of strength. He gains the Weapon Finesse feat for his Skeletal Sword.

Strip Bone (Undead) (Ex/Su/Sp): As he grows more powerful, the Bone Shaper is able to strip undead flesh from the bones. This can greatly reduce the combat effectiveness of an undead, and is reflected in the permanent loss of 1d4 points of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.

The Bone Shaper can use this ability three times/day. After making a successful touch attack, the undead is entitled to a Will saving throw (DC 15 + Bone Shaper level) to maintain its flesh. This works only on creatures with flesh and a skeletal structure.

Envenom Marrow (Ex): As a standard action, the Bone Shaper can imbue the marrow within his Skeletal Sword with powerful magic, making it poisonous to other creatures. This poisoned effect lasts until the Bone Shaper’s next successful attack, when the marrow goes back to being harmless. (Fort save negates; DC 15 + Bone Shaper level)
Marrow Blight: The poison within a Bone Shaper’s sword can be a dangerous one. The first round after being poisoned, the effected creature gains one negative level. Each consecutive round, the creature suffers 1 point of dexterity damage. This effect lasts until the poison is cured, and will disappear 3 hours afterward.

Bone Channel (Su): Even outside of his body, the Bone Shaper’s skeleton is a part of him, and can be used to deliver touch spells. A touch spell delivered through the Bone Shaper’s Skeletal Sword attack acts normally, and the Skeletal Sword’s damage is done in addition to the damage of the spell.

Between the Ribs (Ex): As a move-equivalent action, the Bone Shaper can study an opponent’s armor and anatomy in an attempt to make his next strike all the more effective. In doing so, he can add his Dex bonus to damage instead of his strength bonus.

Break Bone (Su): Once per day, as a full round action, the Bone Shaper can attempt to break a limb of an opponent. Upon making a successful touch attack, the Bone Shaper declares which limb he seeks to break (sword arm, left leg, etc.) The target then attempts a Fortitude saving through (DC 20 + Bone Shaper levels) or the limb breaks. This does 3d10 damage, and the targeted limb loses function. If an arm is targeted, a weapon cannot be supported in the broken arm, and somatic components of spells cannot be preformed. If a leg is targeted, the target falls prone, and movement speed is reduced to 5ft.

This works only on creatures with discernible anatomy, and a skeletal structure.

Spiked Bone Armor (Ex): Bony spikes protrude from the Bone Shaper’s bone armor, granting all the bonuses of normal armor spikes.

Crushing Blow (Ex): Upon reaching mastery of his boney arts, the Bone Shaper can cheat death once per week. Once a week, as a swift action, the Bone Shaper can, upon receiving a blow that would kill him, instead crumble into a pile of bones. This feigns death effectively, and whatever was attacking the Bone Shaper must make a will save (DC 40) or believe him dead.

The Bone Shaper will reform 2d4 rounds later with 2d10 hit points. This leaves the Shaper dazed for 2 rounds afterward, and unable to cast spells for the rest of the day.

Bone Shaper
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +2 +0 Shape/Warp Bone, Strip Bone
2 +1 +0 +3 +0 Bone Armor
3 +2 +1 +3 +1 Bone Weapon
4 +3 +1 +4 +1 Skeletal Sword, Sneak Attack +1d6
5 +3 +1 +4 +1 Skeletal Dexterity, Strip Bone (Undead)
6 +4 +2 +5 +2 Envenom Marrow, Sneak Attack +1d6
7 +5 +2 +5 +2 Bone Channel
8 +6 +2 +6 +2 Between the Ribs
9 +6 +3 +6 +3 Break Bone
10 +7 +3 +7 +3 Crushing Blow, Spiked Bone Armor
AstralFireIX
11-12-07, 02:40 PM Okay, I talked to you on AIM about most of this, but I'm posting it here both for you, and anyone else who reads the topic:

Does Skeletal Sword appear above the wrist, or below it (so you grasp it with your hand)? In the former case, you may wish to note that it leaves your hand free to do other things. In either, it appears to be undisarmable - but what happens if it's sundered?

You left some text from my Eldritch Blade on your bone sword, by the way. :P

A Skeletal Sword is a +1 weapon, and improves as the character gains levels. At 5th level, and every two levels thereafter, the Bone Caster gains an effective +1 bonus to his weapon. Though the actual enhancement bonus may never exceed +5 or go below +1, he may choose any appropriate combination of weapon special abilities to combine and meet his weapon’s effective total effective bonus.

He gets the weapon at 4th level, not 5th. Does it max out at a +3, then?

I know what you mean with Skeletal Dexterity, but you should be a little more clear that it's Weapon Finesse applying only to the Skeletal Sword.

Not sure what Strip Bone's "Ex/Su/Sp" means. Also, I'm unsure about it. What happens when used with a Flesh Golem? Okay, so that's technically a construct, but there are fleshy undead without bony equivalents: Necrocarnum Zombies, Vampires, Liches. I think a straight amount of ability damage or penalty or condition would serve you better.

Break Bone should probably be specified to work only on creatures with discernable anatomy, including most undead in this case.

On the whole, not sure what to think of the class. Its abilities are distinct and mostly useful, and it's nice to err from the usual "give full spellcasting progression" that's become all too common, but my gut instinct is that the class is mostly too weak, with Strip Bone (Undead) being too (unintentionally) powerful at the moment. At the very least, I would give him full caster level progression with Necromantic Spells (as opposed to spellcasting progression.)
Tema69
11-13-07, 07:13 AM This looks cool, you should have a look at the Osteoroc race (in the Races section). They are pretty cool and are a bit similar (at least in the bony concept).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Hyooz 11-12-07, 01:29 PM	This is a new PrC I just finished up, and am considering using it for a new campaign coming up (either a BBEG, or let my PCs have at it) and I'm hoping to address the inevitable balance issues and the iffy capstone ability. Mostly the capstone, I really wasn't sure what to do, and what I have just seems... lacking. Help with that? --- Bone Shaper Prestige Class By Hyooz “Crack, pop. Aww, aint that a shame.” – Devon Markus, Bone Shaper Within us all there is an inner structure keeping us standing, keeping us firm and stiff. Most take this for granted, thinking bone little more than a lifeless, brittle structure and only consider it when they have fractured a limb or a rib is being driven into their heart. A scant few, after dabbling in the necromantic arts, realize the untapped potential of this structure, and begin to make use of it. Adventures: A Bone Shaper will typically be found amongst an otherwise ordinary adventuring group. There is no particular quest that sets these people apart from any others, so they typically adventure for whatever reason they were already adventuring for. Characteristics: Most Bone Shapers share an innate understanding of the intricacies of the body, and maintain a certain fascination with it. They also tend to be somewhat… off compared to other ‘normal’ folk, realized by their willingness to distort and reshape their own bodies for the sake of convenience and weaponry. Alignment: Two Bone Shapers who meet are rarely of the same alignment. There is no true prevalence of law or chaos or good or evil among the Shapers, as the decision to become one is borne of only a willingness to use one’s body for one’s cause. Background: Many Bone Shapers begin as sorcerers who seek more martial proficiency, but realize that normal weapons and armor stunt their own, natural abilities. Some are rogues or bards with enough magical knowledge to distort their bodies to meet their needs. Role: The Bone Shaper acts as both a light caster and a dexterous combatant. Rarely on the front lines, as he is still quite frail, but typically close enough to slide a blade into openings in his opponent’s armor. Game Rule Information: A Bone Shaper has the following game stats. Abilities: The key abilities for a Bone Shaper are Dexterity and Charisma/Wisdom/Intelligence, the latter depending on the ability his spellcasting depends on. Hit Die: d6 Requirements To qualify to become a Bone Shaper, a character must fulfill all the following criteria: Base Attack Bonus: +3 Skills: Knowledge (Anatomy) 8 Ranks, Spellcraft 8 Ranks Spellcasting: Must be able to cast at least 3 spells with the Necromancy descriptor. Class skills The Bone Shaper’s class skills (and the key ability modifier for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int) Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier Class features All of the following are class features of the Bone Shaper prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Bone Shaper gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies. Spellcasting: Shape Bone/Warp Bone (Su): The Bone Shaper gains the ability to bend bone as he pleases as if he has cast Shape Bone or Warp Bone (as the spells Shape Wood or Warp Wood with a different medium.) He can cast these spells up to three times/day, in any combination (i.e. cast Shape Bone twice, and Warp Bone once.) Strip Bone (Su): The Bone Shaper gains the ability to remove dead flesh from bone 3 times per day. This is a standard action, after which the flesh simply dissolves away, leaving the bone clean and safe to touch. This does not effect living or animated flesh, only dead corpses. Bone Armor (Ex): Soon after discovering the versatility of the bone within them, the Bone Shaper learns to draw bone just above the surface of his skin to act as a sort of armor. This is reflected in a +1 natural armor bonus at 2nd level, +3 at 5th, and a +5 at 8th. Drawing the bone to the surface is a painful process however, and inflicts a loss of as many hit points as the armor bonus it grants. These hit points cannot be healed by normal means, but are recovered automatically when the Bone Shaper retracts his armor. There is no arcane spell failure chance due to this armor, and it does not limit dexterity or movement. Activating or retracting the armor is a full-round action. Bone Weapon (Ex): The Bone Shaper can use Shape Bone to fashion a weapons from bone. This can be either a throwing weapon or a melee weapon. The range increment for improvised throwing weapon is 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 20/x2.) The Bone Shaper is automatically proficient with his improvised throwing weapons. Anyone else who wishes to use them must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat to avoid the -4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage, some do piercing damage instead. Improvised melee weapons do 1d6 points of damage (crit 20/x2.) The Bone Shaper is automatically proficient with his improvised weapons, others must spend a proficiency feat to avoid the -4 penalty. Skeletal Sword (Ex): As a full-round action, a Bone Shaper can extend or retract a Skeletal Sword from his forearm. This blade is identical in most ways (except visually) to a scimitar of size appropriate to the wielder. Visually, it is a blade of bone extending from within the Bone Shaper’s forearm. For instance, a medium Bone Shaper forms a medium scimitar that is wielded as a one-handed weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 18-20/x2.) Bone Shapers who are larger or smaller than medium form Skeletal Swords identical to scimitars appropriate for their size, with corresponding change to the blade’s damage. The wielder gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus. The Skeletal Sword extends from above the wrist, thus leaving the hand free to preform other tasks. The sword is undisarmable, but vulerable to normal sundering rules. If sundered, the Bone Shaper suffers 1d4 damage per level of enhancement bonus on the sword. The Sword can then only be restored through either a Heal spell, or 24 hours of meditative healing, or 1 minute of focused magical healing though expending a spell slot of at least (3 + enhancement bonus/2) levels. Until the sword is restored, the limb it extended from is useless. A Skeletal Sword is a +1 weapon, and improves as the character gains levels. At 4th level, and every two levels thereafter, the Bone Caster gains an effective +1 bonus to his weapon. Though the actual enhancement bonus may never exceed +4 or go below +1, he may choose any appropriate combination of weapon special abilities to combine and meet his weapon’s effective total effective bonus. When extending his Sword, the Bone Shaper suffers 3 points of hit point damage that cannot be healed through normal means. When the sword is retracted, these hit points heal automatically. Extending or retracting the Sword is a move-equivalent action. Adding or removing special abilities takes 24 hours of meditation Sneak Attack (Ex): Starting at 4th level, the Bone Shaper gains sneak attack with his Skeletal Sword as a rogue. This starts at +1d6 damage and increases 1d6 every two levels of Bone Shaper thereafter. If the Bone Shaper already had sneak attack, it increases at these levels as it normally would. This applies only to attacks with the Skeletal Sword. Skeletal Dexterity (Ex): Through practice and mastery, the Bone Shaper is now able to apply his dexterity bonus to attack instead of strength. He gains the Weapon Finesse feat for his Skeletal Sword. Strip Bone (Undead) (Ex/Su/Sp): As he grows more powerful, the Bone Shaper is able to strip undead flesh from the bones. This can greatly reduce the combat effectiveness of an undead, and is reflected in the permanent loss of 1d4 points of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. The Bone Shaper can use this ability three times/day. After making a successful touch attack, the undead is entitled to a Will saving throw (DC 15 + Bone Shaper level) to maintain its flesh. This works only on creatures with flesh and a skeletal structure. Envenom Marrow (Ex): As a standard action, the Bone Shaper can imbue the marrow within his Skeletal Sword with powerful magic, making it poisonous to other creatures. This poisoned effect lasts until the Bone Shaper’s next successful attack, when the marrow goes back to being harmless. (Fort save negates; DC 15 + Bone Shaper level) Marrow Blight: The poison within a Bone Shaper’s sword can be a dangerous one. The first round after being poisoned, the effected creature gains one negative level. Each consecutive round, the creature suffers 1 point of dexterity damage. This effect lasts until the poison is cured, and will disappear 3 hours afterward. Bone Channel (Su): Even outside of his body, the Bone Shaper’s skeleton is a part of him, and can be used to deliver touch spells. A touch spell delivered through the Bone Shaper’s Skeletal Sword attack acts normally, and the Skeletal Sword’s damage is done in addition to the damage of the spell. Between the Ribs (Ex): As a move-equivalent action, the Bone Shaper can study an opponent’s armor and anatomy in an attempt to make his next strike all the more effective. In doing so, he can add his Dex bonus to damage instead of his strength bonus. Break Bone (Su): Once per day, as a full round action, the Bone Shaper can attempt to break a limb of an opponent. Upon making a successful touch attack, the Bone Shaper declares which limb he seeks to break (sword arm, left leg, etc.) The target then attempts a Fortitude saving through (DC 20 + Bone Shaper levels) or the limb breaks. This does 3d10 damage, and the targeted limb loses function. If an arm is targeted, a weapon cannot be supported in the broken arm, and somatic components of spells cannot be preformed. If a leg is targeted, the target falls prone, and movement speed is reduced to 5ft. This works only on creatures with discernible anatomy, and a skeletal structure. Spiked Bone Armor (Ex): Bony spikes protrude from the Bone Shaper’s bone armor, granting all the bonuses of normal armor spikes. Crushing Blow (Ex): Upon reaching mastery of his boney arts, the Bone Shaper can cheat death once per week. Once a week, as a swift action, the Bone Shaper can, upon receiving a blow that would kill him, instead crumble into a pile of bones. This feigns death effectively, and whatever was attacking the Bone Shaper must make a will save (DC 40) or believe him dead. The Bone Shaper will reform 2d4 rounds later with 2d10 hit points. This leaves the Shaper dazed for 2 rounds afterward, and unable to cast spells for the rest of the day. Bone Shaper Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1 +0 +0 +2 +0 Shape/Warp Bone, Strip Bone 2 +1 +0 +3 +0 Bone Armor 3 +2 +1 +3 +1 Bone Weapon 4 +3 +1 +4 +1 Skeletal Sword, Sneak Attack +1d6 5 +3 +1 +4 +1 Skeletal Dexterity, Strip Bone (Undead) 6 +4 +2 +5 +2 Envenom Marrow, Sneak Attack +1d6 7 +5 +2 +5 +2 Bone Channel 8 +6 +2 +6 +2 Between the Ribs 9 +6 +3 +6 +3 Break Bone 10 +7 +3 +7 +3 Crushing Blow, Spiked Bone Armor
AstralFireIX 11-12-07, 02:40 PM	Okay, I talked to you on AIM about most of this, but I'm posting it here both for you, and anyone else who reads the topic: Does Skeletal Sword appear above the wrist, or below it (so you grasp it with your hand)? In the former case, you may wish to note that it leaves your hand free to do other things. In either, it appears to be undisarmable - but what happens if it's sundered? You left some text from my Eldritch Blade on your bone sword, by the way. :P A Skeletal Sword is a +1 weapon, and improves as the character gains levels. At 5th level, and every two levels thereafter, the Bone Caster gains an effective +1 bonus to his weapon. Though the actual enhancement bonus may never exceed +5 or go below +1, he may choose any appropriate combination of weapon special abilities to combine and meet his weapon’s effective total effective bonus. He gets the weapon at 4th level, not 5th. Does it max out at a +3, then? I know what you mean with Skeletal Dexterity, but you should be a little more clear that it's Weapon Finesse applying only to the Skeletal Sword. Not sure what Strip Bone's "Ex/Su/Sp" means. Also, I'm unsure about it. What happens when used with a Flesh Golem? Okay, so that's technically a construct, but there are fleshy undead without bony equivalents: Necrocarnum Zombies, Vampires, Liches. I think a straight amount of ability damage or penalty or condition would serve you better. Break Bone should probably be specified to work only on creatures with discernable anatomy, including most undead in this case. On the whole, not sure what to think of the class. Its abilities are distinct and mostly useful, and it's nice to err from the usual "give full spellcasting progression" that's become all too common, but my gut instinct is that the class is mostly too weak, with Strip Bone (Undead) being too (unintentionally) powerful at the moment. At the very least, I would give him full caster level progression with Necromantic Spells (as opposed to spellcasting progression.)
Tema69 11-13-07, 07:13 AM	This looks cool, you should have a look at the Osteoroc race (in the Races section). They are pretty cool and are a bit similar (at least in the bony concept).