Evil / Undead Class : Sphere Minion
by Eric Cagle, Dragon #296
Among some humanoids and monstrous humanoids, insane individuals worship the terrible gods of the beholders. To these people, beholders are the perfect beings that have reached the pinnacle of evolution. They look at their own bodies, with only two feeble eyes and flawed, crude limbs and are filled with disgust. By venerating the Great Mother of the beholders, they hope to receive her blessings.
The sphere minion is typically one of the many slaves that belong to a beholder community. Through constant brainwashing and exposure to beholders, they lose any sense of their former identity, making obedience to their masters the only goal worth pursuing. They are the masters and elite among the slaves, preaching the message of the Great Mother and the superiority of beholderkind. Beholders treat sphere minions slightly better than the other slaves, but they still look at them with disgust and disdain. The other slaves view them with awe and envy, for the sphere minion has been touched and changed by the Great Mother.
Wizards, sorcerers, and bards are most likely to become sphere minions, because they have an understanding of the arcane forces that beholders employ. Although they must devote a large percentage of their time learning arcane theory to be considered by the Great Mother, some clerics also make good sphere minions. Monks possess the right mindset, but fighters, rogues, and members of the other martial classes make poor candidates for the class.
Sphere minions are occasionally found outside the (relative) safety of beholder warrens. They scout terrain in preparation for an assault by beholders. Sphere minions are also found in human cities, performing secret business for their masters. They cloak their appearance under thick hoods or use Illusion magic to remain hidden, revealing themselves only to other cultists or when they want to use their eye stalks to attack someone.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Sphere Minion, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Any humanoid or monstrous humanoid
- Alignment: Lawful evil
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Spot 4 ranks
- Feats: Alertness, Weapon Focus (ray),
- Patron: The Great Mother.
Class Skills
The sphere minion's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Profession, Search, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the sphere minion prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sphere minions gain no new proficiency with any weapons, armor, or shields.
Eye Stalks (Su): As he gains experience, a sphere minion grows eye stalks. Unlike a beholder, the sphere minion can aim his eye stalks in any direction without problems. Using an eye stalk is a standard action. The sphere minion can use each eye stalk a number of times per day as described in the Sphere Minion Advancement Table.
Each ray resembles a spell as though cast by a sorcerer of a level equal to 5 + the sphere minion's class level but follows the rules for a ray (see Aiming a Spell. Each has a range of 50 feet and a saving throw DC of 10 + sphere minion class level + Charisma modifier.
Eye Stalk I (Su): At 1st level, the sphere minion can choose one of the following abilities for the eye stalk:
- Charm Person: The target must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by the spell.
- Inflict Light Wounds: This works just like the spell, causing 1d8+5 points of damage (Will half)
- Sleep: This works like the spell, except that it affects one creature with a number of HD up to the character level of the sphere minion. The target must succeed at a Will safe to resist.
Eye Stalk II (Su): At 3rd level, the sphere minion can choose one of the following abilities for the eye stalk:
- Fear: The target must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by the spell.
- Charm Monster: The target must succeed at a will save or be affected as though by the spell.
- Slow: This works like the spell, except that it affects one creature. The target must succeed at a Will safe to resist.
Eye Stalk III (Su): At 5th level, the sphere minion can choose one of the following abilities for the eye stalk:
- Flesh to Stone: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or be affected as though by the spell.
- Finger of Death: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or be slain as though by the spell. The target suffers 2d6+6 points of damage if his saving through succeeds.
- Disintegrate: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or be affected as though by the spell.
- Telekinesis: The sphere minion can move objects or creatures, as per the spell. Creatures can resist with a successful Will save.
All-Around Vision (Ex): At 2nd-level, the sphere minion grows accustomed to its eye stalk. This grants the sphere minion a +2 circumstance bonus to Spot and Search checks in addition, the sphere minion cannot be flanked.
Levitate (Su): A sphere minion gains the ability to levitate - the better to serve his beholder masters. The sphere minion can levitate at will, as per the spell cast by a sorcerer of the sphere minion's class level.
Beholder Apotheosis: At 5th level, the sphere minion has lost all touch with his original heritage, becoming more like a beholder. Both of his normal eyes merge together into one huge single eye in the middle of his forehead. His creature type permanently changes to "monstrous humanoid". All special abilities, spells, or effect treat him as a monstrous humanoid.
Ex-sphere Minions: A sphere minion who ceases worshiping the Great Mother or willingly opposes a beholder loses almost all the Class Features of this prestige class. Any eye stalks that the former sphere minion has cease working and then fall off. He also loses the ability to levitate. The only feature that is not lost is the beholder apotheosis: The creature is permanently warped and twisted into a monstrous humanoid, retaining the single merged eye as a sign of his former allegiance to the beholder goddess.
| Sphere Minion | Hit Die: d6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Eye stalk I 1/day |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | All-around vision |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Eye stalk II 1/day, eye stalk I 2/day |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Levitate |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Beholder apotheosis, eye stalk III 1/day, eye stalk II 2/day, eye stalk I 3/day |
Source: Dragon #296