General Prestige Class : Heartfire Fanner
by Clifford Horowitz, Dragon #314
Heartfire fanners teach the ways of the Brotherhood of the Burning Heart, as well as epitomizing those qualities the Brotherhood espouses. In their travels they further inflame their souls by giving the uninitiated a taste of what true life feels like. Trained in techniques that evoke a plethora of powerful emotions in their comrades, they earn converts to their cause not with convincing words, but with demonstrations that show others what they miss by living in their cold, mundane ways.
Most heartfire fanners are bards, although any character suitably skilled in some method of inspiring performance can make a competent member of this class.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Heartfire Fanner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Diplomacy 10 ranks, Perform 10 ranks.
- Feats: Negotiator, Skill Focus (Perform).
- Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level spells.
- Special: Must be an active member of the Brotherhood of the Burning Heart and have achieved some degree of personal Inspiration from the dogma of the guild (DM's discretion).
Class Skills
The heartfire fanner's class skills are Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Listen, Perform, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the heartfire fanner prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A heartfire fanner gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells: When a new heartfire fanner level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class level. He does not however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, for example). If a character had more thane one arcane spellcasting class in which he could cast spells before he became a heartfire fanner, he must decide to which class he adds each level of heartfire fanner for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Bardic Music: At 1st level, the heartfire fanner gains the bardic music ability as a 5th-level bard if he did not already have it from a previous class. All the bardic music effects (countersong, fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage, inspire greatness, inspire heroics, song of freedom, suggestion and mass suggestion) become available to him immediately, subject to their usual Performance skill and level requirements (see Bard). A heartfire fanner's class levels stack with any bard levels for all bardic music calculations, including the number of uses of bardic music available per day. The heartfire fanner with bard levels does not gain the normal bardic music abilities as he advances in heartfire fanner levels.
Inspired Fight (Su): At 1st level, a heartfire fanner with 11 ranks in Perform can ignite a martial passion even beyond the ken of normal bardic inspiration by stirring the hearts of warriors already heady with battle.
This ability confers bonus feats upon an allied subject within 30 feet of the heartfire fanner. The target is free to choose which feats he receives from the feats the heartfire fanner possesses or the fighter class bonus feat list. The target must meet all prerequisites to receive the feats, although he can use one bonus feat as a prerequisite for another.
The heartfire fanner bestows a number of bonus feats equal to the number indicated in Heartfire Fanner advancement table.
For every three character levels the heartfire fanner has, he can bestow bonus feats to one additional creature. Each inspired creature may select her own feats. The heartfire fanner must perform his bardic music for round and the targets must hear him before they gain the bonus feats. The feats remain for as long as the heartfire fanner sings and for 5 rounds thereafter. This is a mind-affecting ability. Unlike other bardic songs, the heartfire fanner cannot use this ability on himself; he can only inspire others with it. Inspired fight is considered bardic music, so using this ability takes up one use of the heartfire fanner's bardic music ability for the day.
Magic Flare (Su): The heartfire fanner with 12 or more ranks in Perform learns to inspire spellcasters to excel beyond their own limitations by unlocking their passion for their craft.
By performing for round as a standard action, the heartfire fanner can inspire one allied spellcaster within 30 feet, imbuing the spellcaster's next spell cast with a metamagic feat that the spellcaster possesses. The spell must be cast within round per heartfire fanner level to gain the benefit of magic flare. The altered spell does not take up a higher-level spell slot for the spellcaster, nor does a spontaneous caster (like a sorcerer or bard) require a full-round action to cast the spell affected by magic flare.
The heartfire fanner can only allow a spellcaster to improve a spell with a metamagic feat that alters a spell's level up to the number indicated on the Heartfire Fanner Advancement table. So a 2nd-level heartfire fanner can only allow a spellcaster to alter a spell with a metamagic feat that would normally add one level to the affected spell (such as Silent Spell). At 4th level, the heartfire fanner can allow a spellcaster to improve a spell with a metamagic feat that alters a spell's level up to two levels (such as Empower Spell).
A spellcaster targeted with magic flare still can't cast an altered spell at a level higher than he could normally cast a metamagic spell. So an 8th-level sorcerer, capable of casting 4th-level spells, targeted by magic flare can't use his Empower Spell feat to improve a fireball, since the adjusted level of that spell would be 5th, one level higher than the maximum spell level allowed by his spellcasting level.
Magic flare is considered bardic music, so using this ability takes up one use of the heartfire fanner's uses of bardic music for the day. The heartfire fanner can target himself with magic flare.
Bolster Courage (Su): A 3rd-level heartfire fanner with 13 or more ranks in Perform can strengthen the resolve of an ally benefiting from his inspire courage ability. When a heartfire fanner uses the inspire courage bardic music ability, he can choose one ally currently under the effects of the ability to receive a +2 bonus to attack rolls and Armor Class in addition to the normal bonuses associated with inspire courage. Use of this ability does not take up a use of the heartfire fanner's uses of bardic music ability for the day. The heartfire fanner cannot target himself with bolster courage.
Prolonged Passion (Su): At 5th level, a heartfire fanner with 13 ranks in Perform learns not only to inspire passionate emotion in others, but also masters the art of blending his music to amplify his allies' existing passions.
This use of bardic music inspires one target within 30 feet of the heartfire fanner, and one additional target for every three heartfire fanner and bard levels the character possesses.
The duration of any one spell, or any one extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like ability effecting the targets of prolonged passion is increased by round per point of Charisma bonus of the heartfire fanner. The target of prolonged passion chooses which effect to extend when the heartfire fanner uses the ability. Thus, a raging barbarian targeted with prolonged passion by a fanner with a Charisma of 18 could rage for an additional 4 rounds, and a fighter under the effects of a haste spell would retain the benefits of that spell for an additional 4 rounds. Likewise, the effects of another type of bardic music (such as inspire courage) can be extended.
Only creatures currently under the effects of an effect with a duration can gain any benefit of prolonged passion. If the extended effect ends prematurely (through dispel magic, for example), prolonged passion no longer has any effect.
The heartfire fanner must perform for round and be heard by his targets for the song to take effect. Prolonged passion is a mind-affecting ability. Prolonged passion is considered bardic music, so using this ability takes up one use of the heartfire fanner's bardic music for the day. The heartfire fanner cannot target himself with this ability.
| Heartfire Fanner | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Bardic music, inspired fight (1 feat) | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Magic flare (1 level) | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Bolster courage, Inspired fight (2 feats) | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +3 | +i | +4 | +4 | Magic flare (2 levels) | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +3 | +i | +4 | +4 | Prolonged passion, inspired fight (3 feats) | +1 level of existing class |
Source: Dragon #314