Campaign Design - Base Classes: Mchawi Wizard

Mchawi Wizard
(adapted from Nyambe: African Adventures)

Mchawi wizards are arcane spellcasters descended from vampires who have learned to use magic through the aid of fiendish allies. It takes a certain kind of person to sell his soul in exchange for arcane power. What all mchawi wizards have in common is self-centeredness and an ego big enough to believe that they can deal with fiendish powers and get away with it.

Intelligence is highly prized by the mchawi, as it allows them to strike better deals with fiends and work ever-more powerful spells. Since mchawi wizards are physically frail, they also value high Constitution and Dexterity scores to protect themselves from harm. Most mchawi wizards are lacking in Wisdom, since on the foolish or mad would make deals with fiends.

Race: Vampire-Blooded.
Alignment: Any non-good.

Hit Die: d4.
Luck Die: d2.

Class Skills

• Skill List: The mchawi wizard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft: Any (all skills taken individually)(Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge: Any (all skills taken individually)(Int), Natural Medicine (Int), Profession: Any (all skills taken individually)(Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
• Note: Because the Three Worlds campaign uses the Skills by Character house rule, the list of class skills given here is only included for the sake of completeness, and is not used by characters in the campaign setting.
• Skill Points at 1^st Level: (2 + Intelligence modifier) x4.
• Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are the class features of the mchawi wizard:

• Base Attack Bonus: Poor. A mchawi wizard gains +½ base attack bonus per class level.


• Base Fortitude Save Bonus: Poor. A mchawi wizard gains +¹⁄₃ base Fortitude save bonus per class level.


• Base Reflex Save Bonus: Poor. A mchawi wizard gains +¹⁄₃ base Reflex save bonus per class level.


• Base Will Save Bonus: Good. A mchawi wizard gains a +2½ base Will save bonus at first level, and an additional +½ base Will save bonus per class level.


• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mchawi wizards are proficient with the blowgun, dagger, dart, punch dagger, sickle, quarterstaff, whacking stick, and wrist knife. Mchawi wizards are not proficient with any armor or with shields. As mchawi wizards are arcane spellcasters, they suffer the usual arcane spell failure chances when wearing armor or using shields.


• Spells: A mchawi wizard casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers), which are drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. A mchawi wizard must choose and prepare spells ahead of time. To cast a spell, a mchawi wizard must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level (Intelligence 10 for 0^th-level spells; Intelligence 11 for 1^st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a mchawi wizard's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the mchawi wizard's Intelligence modifier. Like other spell casters, a mchawi wizard can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. In addition, she receives bonus spells for a high Intelligence. Unlike a sorcerer, a mchawi wizard may know any number of spells (see Arcane Magical Writings). Unlike a wizard, a mchawi wizard keeps the spells he knows in mojuba bags, which typically hold a few rocks, feathers, bits of iron, and other mundane objects. To the uninitiated, these objects mean nothing, but to another spellcaster, they contain the encoded formula needed to prepare a spell. For all intents and purposes, a mojuba bag is equivalent to a written formula in a spellbooks. Each spell known by the caster requires a separate mojuba bag. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting a good night's sleep and spending 1 hour studying her mojuba bags and supplicating fiendish powers. While studying, the mchawi wizard decides which spells to prepare (see Preparing Wizard Spells). A mchawi wizard cannot prepare any spell not encoded in his mojuba bags except for read magic, which all mchawi wizards can prepare from memory.
  In addition to the spells she can learn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, a mchawi wizard can also learn and cast the following spells:
  
  • 2^nd level: Incantation of the Broken Limb, Lockjaw
  • 5^th level: Lobir
  • 6^th level: Tear the Open Wound
  • 8^th level: Solid Darkness
  • 9^th level: Bite of the Plague Rat, Iron Golem


• Necromancy Specialization: Mchawi wizards are all specialized in the school of necromancy. Specialization allows the mchawi wizard to cast extra spells from the necromancy school, but the mchawi wizard can never learn to cast spells from the divination school. Spell of the divination school are not available to her, and she cannot even cast them from spells or wands. The mchawi wizard can prepare one additional spell from the necromancy school per spell level per day, listed on the table below as "+1". The mchawi wizard gains a +2 bonus to Spellcraft checks to learn spells from the necromancy school.


• Sanguar: Mchawi wizards are proficient in the art of dodging commonly known as sanguar. The mchawi wizard gains the Sanguar feat for free at 1^st level, which provides a dodge bonus to Armor Class based on the character's base attack bonus.


• Create Gris-Gris: A mchawi wizard gains the Create Gris-Gris Bag feat for free at 1^st level.


• Fiendish Servant (Su): At 2^nd level, a machawi wizard gains a fiendish servant.


• Bonus Feats(Ex): At 6^th, 12^th, and 18^th levels, a mchawi wizard gains a bonus feat. This feat must be an item creation feat, a metamagic feat, or Spell Mastery.


• Spell Mastery (Ex): Mchawi wizards can take the feat Spell Mastery. Each time a mchawi wizard takes the feat, he chooses a number of spells equal to his Intelligence modifier that he already knows. From that point on, the mchawi wizard can prepare these spells without consulting his mojuba bags.


• Damned Soul (Su): Mchawi wizards of 5^th level or higher no longer fear death. If slain, a mchawi wizard is automatically raised as a vampire. The mchawi wizard cannot be restored from death by any other means, including powerful spells such as true resurrection or wish.


• Ex-Mchawi Wizards: Any mchawi wizard who changes to a good alignment loses the ability to cast mchawi wizard spells and can no longer advance in levels as a mchawi. In addition, if she has a fiendish servant, it turns against her and then leaves.

Mchawi Wizard

		Spells per Day
Level	Special	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	Spells, Create Gris-Gris, Sanguar	3	1+1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	Fiendish Servant	4	2+1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	-	4	2+1	1+1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	-	4	3+1	2+1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	Damned Soul	4	3+1	2+1	1+1	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	Bonus Feat	4	3+1	3+1	2+1	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	-	4	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	-	-	-	-	-
8th	-	4	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	-	-	-	-	-
9th	-	4	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	-	-	-	-
10th	-	4	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	-	-	-	-
11th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	-	-	-
12th	Bonus Feat	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	-	-	-
13th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	-	-
14th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	-	-
15th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	1+1	-
16th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	3+1	2+1	-
17th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	2+1	1+1
18th	Bonus Feat	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1	2+1
19th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	3+1	3+1
20th	-	4	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1	4+1

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General Rules - Bardic Performance Effects

Bardic Performance Effects

In addition to the abilities gained through the use f the various mystical performance feats, bards are able to roughly approximate metamagic feats with their performances. They are unable to manipulate their own spells in this way - a bard has great power to change the way in which those around him cast spells, but is powerless to alter his own spells without using traditional metamagic.

The bard is able to assist his companions in the creation of spectacular spells and one bard (or more) can assist another bard in the same way he can aid any other spellcaster. In groups, even the relatively weak spells of bards can be enhanced to great potency. The following enhancements are available for enhancing the spells of others.

In order to augment a spell, the bard must use his Perform skill to create a mystical performance. Each performance requires at least one full-round action that must begin before the spellcaster initiates his casting. The bard must continue performing until the spell is cast. For spells requiring more than one round to cast, the bard need only make a single Perform check, but must expend a full-round action each round until the spell is successfully cast or the caster abandons the spell preparations. Just before the spell is completed, the bard makes a Perform check (the DC is determined by the type of effect desired - see the individual effect description) to determine what, if any, change he has wrought upon the spell in question. If the Perform check fails, the bard is unable to manipulate the spell as it is cast, though the spell slot costs for the effect must still be paid. If the bard fails the perform check by 10 or more, a miscast occurs as detailed in the effect description. When a miscast occurs, the cost for the spell effect must still be paid.

Most of the effects described in the table below may be applied to any allied caster's spell with the following restrictions:

• The caster must be in view of the bard at all times while the spell is being cast. It is not necessary for the caster to be able to see the bard, but the bard must be able to watch as the spellcaster prepares his spell so that the bard may adjust his performance accordingly.


• The bard must be able to engage in a performance of some type - if he is silenced and bound, he's not going to be augmenting must of anything until he has gotten himself free and able to use his skills.

As long as these two conditions are met, the bard may use his mystical performance abilities on any allied caster's spell. Each effect has an affinity for a particular type of mystical performance. If the correct performance type is used in conjunction with an effect, the bard receives a +2 synergy bonus on his Perform check.

Effect	Affinity
Arcane Power Increase	Bardic Singing
Duration Increase	Bardic Singing
Effect Increase	Bardic Instrumentals
Effect Magnification	Bardic Instrumentals
Focused Energy	Bardic Singing
Range Increase	Bardic Chanting
Range Magnification	Bardic Chanting
Spell Bounce	Bardic Chanting
Spell Delay	Bardic Dancing
Sustain Spell	Bardic Dancing

Just as bard may attempt to augment the effects of an ally's spell, they may also attempt to impair the power of an enemy's spells. Using one of these effects requires the same steps as augmenting an ally's spells. This means the bard must begin his performance before the enemy spellcaster he wishes to impair - if the spellcaster then chooses not to cast a spell, the bard will have wasted his action for the round, though not his spell slot as these are only expended if a spell is cast and an attempt to affect it is made.

In order for the impairment performance to be successful, the bard must make a successful Spellcraft check to determine which spell the enemy is casting. This is part of the full-round performance action. If this check succeeds, the bard;'s performance continues as normal and the bard must expend a spell slot of the appropriate level when the enemy's spell is cast. If the Spellcraft check fails, the bard is unable to determine which spell the enemy caster is unleashing and realizes his performance is futile. Though the bard's full-round performance is wasted, his spell slots are not expended in this case.

In the descriptions of the individual effects from the table below, references to effective caster level of a performance are a reference to the effective caster level of the enemy spellcaster releasing the targeted spell. Each effect has an affinity for a particular type of mystical performance. If one of these performance types is used in conjunction with this effect, the bard receives a +2 synergy bonus on his Perform check.

Effect	Affinity
Chant of Dissipation	Bardic Chanting
Diffused Energy	Bardic Singing
Effect Dampener	Bardic Instrumentals
Effect Reduction	Bardic Instrumentals
Range Inhibitor	Bardic Chanting
Spell Deflection	Bardic Chanting

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Campaign Design - Base Classes: Mind Weaver

Mind Weaver
(adapted from the Path of Magic)

Eschewing the use of tomes or words, the mind weaver uses the sheer power of her mind to control the forces of magic and twist its arcane energies to suit her needs. In a world of powerful wizards and sorcerers, the mind weaver is as equally feared as she is revered and puzzled over.

Mind weavers tend to draw their strength from several areas. Intelligence is the most important to the mind weaver, as it determines the primary source of her arcane power. Charisma is also beneficial to the mind weaver, whether she needs to convince a sorcerer or wizard that she truly is a peer or to hide the nature of her talents to protect herself from fearful or malicious characters.

Race: Unassigned.
Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d6.
Luck Die: d2.

Class Skills

• Skill List: The mind weaver's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft: Any (all skills taken individually)(Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge: Any (all skills taken individually)(Int), Profession: Any (all skills taken individually)(Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
• Note: Because the Three Worlds campaign uses the Skills by Character house rule, the list of class skills given here is only included for the sake of completeness, and is not used by characters in the campaign setting.
• Skill Points at 1^st Level: (2 + Intelligence modifier) x4.
• Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are the class features of the mind weaver:

• Base Attack Bonus: Poor. A mind weaver gains +½ base attack bonus per class level.


• Base Fortitude Save Bonus: Poor. A mind weaver gains +¹⁄₃ base Fortitude save bonus per class level.


• Base Reflex Save Bonus: Poor. A mind weaver gains +¹⁄₃ base Reflex save bonus per class level.


• Base Will Save Bonus: Good. A mind weaver gains a +2½ base Will save bonus at first level, and an additional +½ base Will save bonus per class level.


• Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mind weavers are proficient with all simple weapons. Mind weavers are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Any spell failure chances for wearing a light armor apply to mind weavers who wear armor.


• Spell Powers: A mind weaver does not cast spells in the conventional way that most arcane spellcasters might. Instead, her mind is naturally attuned to the energies that create magic. By using concentration and focus, she may use the power of her mind to manipulate these energies to create specific spell powers. Spell powers are arcane spells that function identically to the spell descriptions for arcane spells, but are cast in a different manner.
  
  
  
  The mind weaver is limited to a certain number of spell powers of each level per day, depending on her class level. A mind weaver must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell power's level in order to use it. A mind weaver's bonus spell powers are based on her Intelligence score. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against a mind weaver's spell powers is 10 + the spell power's level + the mind weaver's Intelligence modifier.
  
  
  
  Unlike wizards, the mind weaver does not use spellbooks to learn new abilities. With each new spell power level gained, the mind weaver must decide which new arcane spells she wishes to learn as spell powers as shown on the table below, Mind weavers select their spell powers from the mind weaver spell list. A mind weaver's Intelligence modifier is used to determine the number of bonus spells (if any) she may cast each day.
  
  
  
  Unlike wizards, the mind weaver is not required to prepare her spell powers ahead of time. She may use her spell powers spontaneously so long as she is able to cast the spell slot of the spell power level that she wishes to activate. The mind weaver may use higher-level spell power slots to activate lower-level spell powers if she chooses to do so.
  
  
  
  Spell powers function as arcane spells for the purpose of counterspelling, dispelling, and recognition through the use of Spellcraft skill checks. The mind weaver is not required to use verbal or material components in order to use a spell power. She only uses somatic components to activate a spell power. In the case of spells that have an experience point cost, the cost remains the same for the mind weaver. When dealing with spells with costly material components, the mind weaver must spend ¹/₂₅ of the material component's cost in experience points to activate the spell power.


• Familiar: A mind weaver can obtain a familiar.


• Bonus Feat: Since they weave the forces of arcane energy more freely than many other spellcasters, the mind weaver is able to more easily learn new techniques to manipulate those energies. At 1^st level, the mind weaver gains a bonus feat. This feat must be a metamagic feat or the Spell Focus feat. At 5^th level, 10^th level, and 15^th level, she gains another bonus feat, as well as gaining a final bonus feat at 20^th level.


• Armor Adaptation (Ex): The mind weaver i more adept than other arcane spellcasters at activating spell powers while wearing armor because the somatic components they learn are far less complex than those of wizards or sorcerers. At 4^th level, the mind weaver reduces the arcane spell failure chance of any armor she wears by 5%. This reduction increases to 10% at 16^th level.


• Spell Power Mastery (Su): After gaining intimate knowledge and a natural awareness of the arcane energies that create spell effects, the mind weaver is capable of mastering certain elements of the different schools of magic. At 6^th level, 12^th level, and 18^th level, the mind weaver may select a number of spell powers equal to half of her Intelligence modifier to use with this ability. From that point on, she may cast these mastered spell powers as if they had been cast with the Empower Spell feat, except that they spell power does not take up a higher level slot. All of the other requirements necessary to affect a spell power with this metamagic feat remain unchanged. Spells without random variables, for example, are unaffected by this ability.


• Watching the Threads (Sp): With her body and mind becoming increasingly attuned to the arcane energies surrounding her, in time the mind weaver learns to actively see threads of arcane energy in the air. At 8^th level, the mind weaver cam take a full round action to activate a detect magic spell-like ability that acts as the spell and has a duration of concentration.


• Counterspelling Savant: At 13^th level, the mind weaver becomes more attuned to the flow of arcane energy and can more freely manipulate its flow. When the mind weaver makes a successful counterspell attempt, she can make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the countered spell's level). If she is successful, she can use a spell power slot one level lower than that of the spell she is countering. if she fails the check, the spell power slot is lost as normal.

Mind Weaver

		Spell Powers per Day
Level	Special	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	Spell Powers, Bonus Feat	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	Familiar	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	-	6	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	Armor Adaptation 5%	6	6	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	Bonus Feat	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	Spell Power Mastery	6	6	5	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	-	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-	-
8th	Watching the Threads	6	6	6	5	3	-	-	-	-	-
9th	-	6	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-	-
10th	Bonus Feat	6	6	6	6	5	3	-	-	-	-
11th	-	6	6	6	6	6	4	-	-	-	-
12th	Spell Power Mastery	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	-	-	-
13th	Counterspelling Savant	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	-	-	-
14th	-	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	-	-
15th	Bonus Feat	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	-	-
16th	Armor Adaptation 10%	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	-
17th	-	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	-
18th	Spell Power Mastery	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3
19th	-	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4
20th	Bonus Feat	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

Spell Powers Known

Level	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	5	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	6	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	6	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	6	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	7	4	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	7	5	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
8th	8	5	3	2	1	-	-	-	-	-
9th	8	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
10th	9	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-	-
11th	9	5	5	4	3	2	-	-	-	-
12th	9	5	5	4	3	2	1	-	-	-
13th	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	-	-	-
14th	9	5	5	4	4	3	2	1	-	-
15th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	-	-
16th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	1	-
17th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	-
18th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	2	1
19th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	2
20th	9	5	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3

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Campaign Design - Bloodlines: Topaz Sûl-Blooded

Topaz Sûl-Blooded
(adapted from Unearthed Arcana)

While they are rare, due to the somewhat less than friendly attitudes of most topaz dragons, there are those who bear the unmistakable pupiless golden-brown eyes and pale yellow skin of a descendant of Tvennumbrúni's. Topaz dragons are more likely to form alliances resulting in offspring with fæy who have an affinity for water than they are to interbreed with members of the mortal races, but even so, such unions have been known to occur.

Like their sire, those who bear this bloodline are often unpredictable, selfish, and difficult to deal with. They tend to gravitate to lives that take them onto the seas, and a number of the greatest sea explorers, mariners, and pirates in history have been known or suspected of being topaz-blooded.

Topaz Sûl Bloodline Traits

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate	Major
1st	-	-	+2 on Swim checks
2nd	-	+2 on Swim checks	Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot)
3rd	-	-	Strength +1
4th	+2 on Swim checks	Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot)	Cold resistance 5 (Ex)2
5th	-	-	Topaz Sûl affinity +21
6th	-	Strength +1	+1 to natural armor +1
7th	-	-	+2 on Survival checks
8th	Skill Augmentation (Listen and Spot)	Cold resistance 5 (Ex)2	Cold resistance 10 (Ex)2
9th	-	-	Constitution +1
10th	-	Topaz Sûl affinity +21	Water breathing(Ex)
11th	-	-	Topaz Sûl affinity +41
12th	Strength +1	+1 to natural armor +1	+1 to natural armor
13th	-	-	+2 on Knowledge: Nature checks
14th	-	+2 on Survival checks	Power Attack
15th	-	-	Charisma +1
16th	Cold resistance 5 (Ex)2	Cold resistance 10 (Ex)2	Breath weapon (Ex)3
17th	-	-	Topaz Sûl affinity +61
18th	-	Constitution +1	+1 to natural armor
19th	-	-	+2 on Intimidate checks
20th	Topaz Sûl affinity +21	Water breathing (Ex)	Cold immunity (Ex)2
1 You gain the indicated bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, and Perform checks made to interact with topaz dragons and other creatures descended from topaz dragons, including others with this bloodline.
2 If you gain cold resistance (or immunity) from another source (such as from levels in the dragon shaman or sorcerer classes), this ability becomes the ability to bestow cold resistance (or immunity) of the indicated strength upon your allies within 30 feet. This ability requires a swift action to use, lasts for one round for each of your character levels, and is usable once per day.
3 30-foot cone of dehydration that looks like a watery blast, 6d8 damage; Reflex half (DC 10 + ½ your Hit Dice + your Constitution modifier). When directed against an aqueous liquid (water or a liquid composed mostly of water), this effect evaporates one cubic foot of water per hit point of damage dealt. Creatures caught in the cone take the indicated damage. Usable once per day. If you have a breath weapon ability from sorcerer levels, this ability instead indicates that you may use your sorcerous breath weapon an additional time per day. If you have a breath weapon ability from dragon shaman levels, this ability instead means that you gain +2d6 to your dragon shaman breath weapon.

Favored Class: Sûl-Blooded individuals can replace their racial favored class with the Sorcerer class. Topaz Sûl-Blooded sorcerers must take the Sûlic sorcerous bloodline and select topaz dragon as their dragon type.

Exclusive Class: Sûl-Blooded individuals must replace their racial exclusive class with the Dragon Shaman class. A Topaz Sûl-Blooded dragon shaman must choose the Topaz Sûl Totem.

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