Alternate Class - Truenamer
"I name you thelehb'maurechthalahh, tyrant. I rend asunder your petty spells with bhauo-yualé-mannarae. And I bring you to your knees with gorvoâtyrmu-lilautha. With only three words, I have you at my mercy." - Sekhen, Master of Truespeech
Truenamers study the words that comprise the fabric of existence. They seek to unravel and comprehend the mysteries of the Multiverse by learning the truenames of as many of its components as possible. A truenamer learns new truenames as he progresses in level, which he can use as utterances to manipulate the world around him. All truenamers know the basic words of Truespeak that allow them to describe creatures that they encounter, so the new words they learn enable them to alter those creatures in very specific ways. As they continue to advance, they also learn to describe - and thus affect - inanimate objects and even places, which are more difficult to describe using truenames.
If you want to understand the secret language of the universe, the truenamer class is for you. By delving into the truenames of everything that surrounds you, you can reshape reality itself. You will speak words of power so potent that the cosmos will rearrange itself to match their meaning.
Making A Truenamer
At first, you will only be able to use Truespeak in a few ways, so your power will necessarily be limited. You will know only a few truenames, and more important, your ability to pronounce them is imperfect. You will encounter situations when you aren't as skilled with Truespeak as you need to be, and you say "ghaurtahlakranarnniio" when you meant to say "ghaurtalhakranammio." As a low-level truenamer, you might be able to increase an ally's effectiveness in combat or freeze an enemy in place, but you won't be commanding demons or altering the landscape - yet.
As you attain more levels, your power grows in three main ways. First, you gain access to new lexicons, expanding your abilities to influence items and places, as well as creatures. Second, you learn new utterances, each of which gives you a new way to affect creatures, objects, and places. Third, as you gain ranks in the Truespeak skill, you will naturally be able to pronounce truenames more reliably, especially the truenames of more powerful creatures.
In many ways, you're like a spellcaster. You would rather deliver an utterance or a recitation than attack with a weapon. By choosing the path of the truenamer, you give up a degree of flexibility compared to a spellcaster. You have a set of utterances and recitations you can make, and this set doesn't change from day to day the way a wizard can change her arsenal of prepared spells. But because you aren't casting spells, you don't have to worry about spell slots, spell levels, or running out of your most precious resource. You can continue to speak utterances and recitations as long as you can continue to succeed on Truespeak checks.
Abilities: Intelligence and Charisma are the most important ability scores for you. Intelligence is the relevant ability score for the Truespeak skill; a high Intelligence will help you learn and remember the long strings of syllables and exact pronunciation of the truenames you know. Charisma provides the force and conviction behind your words. In game terms, it sets the save DC for many of your utterances.
Other ability scores matter less, because you would much rather deliver an utterance than swing a sword or shoot a bow.
If you're spending points on a physical ability score, consider Constitution because it provides extra hit points - a resource everyone runs short on eventually.
Races: The knowledge of truenames - and how to manipulate them - can be found among most races, but, as with the magic of wizards, the lore of truenamers requires a certain scholarly bent. Truenamers also spend significant time in libraries and other places of knowledge, and they are more rare among less civilized (or at least, less urban) races.
Humans and dwarves, especially, find truename magic appealing. Dwarves find truename magic like a delightful puzzle to be solved: combinations of individual words of power, when put together a certain way, capable of achieving a specific effect. Scholarly dwarves are on the forefront of combining genealogy and truenames, discovering how the personal truenames of dwarves within the same clan have some common syllables.
Humans living in the centers of major cities have access to some of the libraries and other resources so essential to learning truenames. They're also natural explorers, crossing the globe in search of new things to name. The division of truenames into three lexicons is largely a human invention and now all truenamers enjoy the convenience of the three classifications.
Truenamers can also be found among elves and gnomes although such characters tend to prefer a more organized approach to magic. Halflings and half-orcs frequently lack the discipline or access to sources of knowledge to make truename magic feasible, although some clans and tribes might include members with ranks in Truespeak, and perhaps knowledge of a few truename spells.
Alignment: Truenamers have no preferred alignment. Both the blackest hearts and the purest souls seek to understand the cosmos by mastering truename magic. Evildoers want to reshape the universe for their own ends - or for those of their dark masters. The defenders of all that is good want to use truenames to create a more just, compassionate world. The rigid complexities of truename linguistics appeal to lawful characters, while chaotic characters love how truename magic confounds society's rules as an agent of fundamental change.
Starting Gold: 4d4x10 gp (100 gp).
Starting Age: As wizard.
Class Skills
The truenamer's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Perform (oratory), Truespeak, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Your class features involve learning new utterances, attaining more knowledge among the three lexicons, and learning recitations that use your personal truename.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with simple weapons and with light armor, but not with shields.
Known Personal Truename: You know your own personal truename. You cannot pronounce it automatically; doing so requires a Truespeak check with a DC equal to 15 + (2 X your Hit Dice) + 2. Because it's your personal truename, you get a +4 bonus on the Truespeak check.
Utterances (Sp): You have the ability to speak utterances, powerful combinations of truenames that can alter the world around you in fundamental ways. Utterances exist in three lexicons: The Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, and the Lexicon of the Perfected Map. You begin play knowing one utterance from the 1st level of the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, and you gain one utterance from this lexicon at each truenamer level you attain. You gain access to higher levels of utterances at the levels indicated on the table below. When you gain access to higher-level utterances, you can choose an utterance from that level or from a lower level, if you wish.
Each utterance represents hundreds of truenames in your repertoire. When you gain the word of bolstering, for example, you say thanthan'ku'ul-hraseehni when you're delivering it on your elf ranger ally and yanu-shankrini'qalaasha when you're delivering it on your gnome rogue friend.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your utterances is 10 + 1/2 your truenamer level + your Cha modifier.
Beginning at 4th level, you also gain access to the 1st-level utterances of the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, allowing you to alter objects with your truenames. You gain access to higher-level utterances from this lexicon at 7th, 11th, 15th and 19th levels, as indicated on the table below.
Beginning at 8th level, you gain access to the 1st-level utterances of the Lexicon of the Perfected Map, allowing you to alter places with your truenames. You gain access to higher-level utterances from this lexicon at 12th, 16th, and 20th levels, as indicated below.
See page 232 of the Tome of Magic for the rules on successfully speaking utterances.
| Maximum Utterance Level Known | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | Lexicon of the Evolving Mind | Lexicon of the Crafted Tool | Lexicon of the Perfected Map |
| 1st | 1st | - | - |
| 2nd | 1st | - | - |
| 3rd | 2nd | - | - |
| 4th | 2nd | 1st | - |
| 5th | 2nd | 1st | - |
| 6th | 3rd | 1st | - |
| 7th | 3rd | 2nd | - |
| 8th | 3rd | 2nd | - |
| 9th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
| 10th | 4th | 2nd | 1st |
| 11th | 4th | 3rd | 1st |
| 12th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd |
| 13th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd |
| 14th | 5th | 3rd | 2nd |
| 15th | 5th | 4th | 2nd |
| 16th | 5th | 4th | 3rd |
| 17th | 5th | 4th | 3rd |
| 18th | 6th | 4th | 3rd |
| 19th | 6th | 5th | 3rd |
| 20th | 6th | 5th | 4th |
Knowledge Focus (Ex): As a truenamer, you spend a great deal of time studying the world around you in an effort learn new truenames. At the levels indicated below, you gain a permanent +3 bonus on a Knowledge skill of your choice. Each time you gain this ability, you can apply it to different Knowledge skill, or to the same Knowledge skill if you want to focus on a particular area of expertise.
Truename Research: At 6th level, you gain Truename Research as a bonus feat.
Bonus Recitation Feat: By repeating your own personal truename over and over with a particular inflection, you can achieve various healing effects starting at 8th level. Choose one recitation feat. You must still meet the prerequisites for the bonus feat to take it.
At 15th level, you gain a second bonus recitation feat.
See the Named (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you have the ability to see a creature from afar whose personal name you know. This ability works as the scrying spell but does not require a mirror or pool of water to function. Instead, you must make a Truespeak check for the creature as normal (see page 196, Tome of Magic, for information on making a Truespeak check to affect a creature). If your check is successful, the creature does not get a save to resist the ability, but you can view the subject for only 1 round. You can use this ability once per day.
Sending (Su): Beginning at 13th level, you can speak to creatures whose personal truenames you know from a great distance. You must make a successful Truespeak check (DC 15 + 2 x targets CR) to use this ability. If successful, you can send a message to the subject as a sending spell (caster level equal to your truenamer level). You can use this ability three times per day.
Speak unto the Masses (Su): At 17th level, you have the ability to affect a number of creatures of the same creature type with a single, powerful utterance. You can only affect creatures of the same type (humanoids, giants, or dragons, for example) with a single use of this ability, although you could use it against a different group of a different creature type each round. No two of the creatures you wish to affect with your utterance can be more than 30 feet apart, and the base DC for your Truespeak check is equal to the most powerful (highest CR or most Hit Dice, if you are affecting PCs) creature in the group. For each creature you wish to affect with the utterance beyond the first, the DC of your Truespeak check increases by 2.
The Law of Resistance (see page 233, Tome of Magic) applies to utterances altered with speak unto the masses. As a result, additional uses of an utterance modified with speak unto the masses might be more difficult, even if you then want to use the utterance on a single creature later in the day. For example, if you attempted to use an utterance against four fire giants (each CR 10), the DC would be 15 + (2 x 10) + 6, or 41. If your attempt was successful, and you later tried to use that same utterance against a single marut (CR is), the Law of Resistance applies, and the DC would be 15 + (2 X 15) + 2, or 47.
Say My Name and I Am There (Su): At 20th level, you develop a truename - not your personal truename, but a sort true nickname - that is invested with cosmic power such that others who speak it can conjure you forth. Whenever someone successfully says this truename, you can appear at that creature's location as if taken there by a word of recall spell. You know who is saying your truename, and you can choose not to be transported if you wish. The nickname is often one or two syllables taken from your personal truename. A creature speaking your true nickname need not make a Truespeak check to do so.
Most truenamers with this ability teach the truename to their friends and allies so they can be called when needed.
| Truenamer | Hit Die: d6 | Utterances Known | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | EM | CT | PM |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Known personal truename | 1 | - | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Knowledge focus | 2 | - | - |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | - | 3 | - | - |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | 4 | 1 | - |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | 5 | 1 | - |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Truename research | 6 | 1 | - |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Knowledge focus | 7 | 2 | - |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Bonus recitation feat | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +6 | See the named 1/day | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Knowledge focus | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +3 | +7 | - | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | - | 12 | 3 | 2 |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Sending | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +4 | +9 | Knowledge focus | 14 | 3 | 2 |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Bonus recitation feat | 15 | 4 | 2 |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | - | 16 | 4 | 3 |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Speak unto the masses | 17 | 4 | 3 |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +11 | - | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | - | 19 | 5 | 3 |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Say my name and I am there | 20 | 5 | 4 |
Religion
Any deity with knowledge, lore, or speech in its pantheon is a natural for truenamers. But more than that, truenamers favor the creator deity (if one exists) in a given pantheon. Many truenamers have the explicit or implicit belief that the creator deity used the language of truenames to define everything in the universe at the moment of creation, essentially speaking every truename at the beginning of time. Not every truenamer believes in the connection between the creation of the universe and the power of truenames, but most do. This can sometimes get truenamers in trouble with strongly orthodox religions that lack a creator deity or don't incorporate truenames into their creation story.
Truenamers of the FORGOTTEN REALMs setting often venerate Azuth (LN), Gond (N), Larhander (NG), Mystra (NG), Oghma (N). Some truenamers worship Selûne or Shar due their importance in the world's creation myth. Others favor Deneir because they see a connection between truenames and the Deneiran Metatext. The racial patron deities find worshipers among truenamers, too.
Truenamer Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research truenamers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
- DC 10: Truenamers speak their magic aloud using long strings of what sounds like gibberish.
- DC 15: Truenamers claim to tap into the power of a fundamental language of the universe, and if they know something's truename, they can affect it with their magic.
- DC 20: Truenamers gradually learn more truenames and more ways to use each truename they know. They also can learn the personal truename of an individual creature, which gives them lots of power over that creature.
Source: Tome of Magic
Alternate Character Classes
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