General Prestige Class : Void Disciple
Of all the elemental forces that make up the universe, the most powerful and the most difficult to control is the one that lies between and joins the others: void. Void disciples understand that everything in the world contains all the basic elements, held together by the least tangible essence. Void is like the silence between notes of music, giving rhythm and shape to the whole. To those who understand the relationship of void to all other things, and who have the innate ability to personally perceive that relationship, distance and form become inconsequential.
Void disciples begin their training as spellcasters, and they continue to gain spellcasting ability as they rise in level. They are generally students of a particular school or adherents to particular faith or philosophy.
Like other spellcasters, NPC void disciples play the role of wise elders or keepers of religious teachings and legends. Those who have mastered the path of void are charged with the task of listening across the world's underlying stream of void for the births of those who have an innate affinity for void, and supervising the training of these individuals as they mature.
Adaptation: The void disciple prestige class represents a wise master if not an outright hermit, so it's a good choice for more solitary characters. Any group of void disciples is likely to be far-flung - and given their ability to scry on one another, distance poses less of an organizational problem than it otherwise would.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Void Disciple, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any neutral.
- Skills: Spellcraft 10 ranks.
- Feats: Heighten Spell, Spell Penetration.
- Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level arcane or divine spells.
Class Skills
The void disciple's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Profession, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the void disciple.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Void disciples gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: A void disciple continues her magical training while mastering the powers of void. At 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th level, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained one level in a previous spellcasting class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). If the character had more than one spellcasting class in which she could cast 3rd-level spells before becoming a void disciple, the player must decide to which class to add each void disciple level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Sense Void (Su): The first technique taught to the void disciple is the ability to reach out with the mind and sense the world around, exploring the unseen layer of reality most people rarely experience. The void disciple's consciousness actually departs her body and extends into the world, allowing her to use her normal senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) to perceive whatever area, person, or thing she directs her attention to. The void disciple must make a Spellcraft check, with the DC determined by distance, not familiarity.
| Distance | DC |
| Line of sight | 5 |
| Up to 1 mile (same village) | 10 |
| Up to 10 miles (same province) | 15 |
| Up to 100 miles (same clan's territory) | 20 |
| Up to 1,000 miles (another clan's territory) | 25 |
A void disciple cannot sense across planar boundaries. Thus, a void disciple standing on one side of a gate could not= extend her senses through it.
With every four levels a void disciple attains beyond 1st, she gains the ability to perceive deeper levels of reality. At 5th level, a void disciple can use detect magic and detect evil at will. At 9th level, she can use discern lies and read emotional states, gaining a +10 bonus on Sense Motive checks. At 13th level, she can detect thoughts at will.
A void disciple can use this ability once per day at 1st level. With every two levels she attains beyond 1st, she can use the ability an additional time per day (twice at 3rd level, three times at 5th, and so on).
Moment of Clarity (Su): A void disciple of 4th level or higher can grant an ally the temporary ability to perform any skill or feat (with the exception of ancestor feats). The void disciple must use a standard action to touch the target. The target gains either one feat or a number of ranks in one skill equal to his relevant ability modifier for that skill. For example, a character with Dexterity 14 could gain 2 ranks in Ride, for a total skill modifier of +4. The effect lasts for 1 round per level of the void disciple. The void disciple can use this supernatural ability twice per day at 4th level, plus an additional use for every four additional levels she attains.
Altering the Course (Su): Once per day, a void disciple of 7th level or higher can add a +20 bonus on any single attack roll, skill check, or ability check she makes. She cannot transfer this bonus to another character by any means. This supernatural ability requires no action, and lasts only the duration of the single check.
Void Release (Su): Three times per day, a void disciple of 10th level or higher can touch an ally, allowing that character to use his highest ability score modifier in place of any one lower modifier (target's choice) for a number of rounds equal to half the void disciple's level. For example, a severely wounded fighter could use his high Strength modifier in place of his low Dexterity modifier for a few rounds, increasing his Armor Class, Reflex save bonus, and ranged attack bonus (as well as Dexterity-based skills)
Suppression (Su): Once per day, a void disciple of 12th level or higher can make a melee touch attack to force the target to use his lowest ability score modifier in place of any one higher modifier (void disciple's choice) for 5 rounds.
For example, a void disciple could force an ogre to use his low Intelligence modifier in place of his high Strength modifier, severely weakening the brute's physical blows.
Void Strike (Su): Once per day, a 13th-level void disciple can make a melee touch attack to bestow 1d4 negative levels on the target. The void disciple gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level she bestows. if the target has at least as many negative levels as Hit Dice, he dies. Each negative level gives a creature a -1 competence penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, and effective level (for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells or special abilities). Additionally, a spellcaster loses one spell or spell slot from his highest available level. Negative levels stack. Assuming the target survives, he regains lost levels after 13 hours pass. This ability relies on the void disciple's mastery of void, not negative energy, so it cannot be used to benefit undead.
| Void Disciple | Hit Die: d6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Sense Void (physical senses, 1/day) | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Sense Void (2/day) | - |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Moment of clarity (2/day) | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Sense Void (magical senses, 3/day) | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | - | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Altering the course, sense void (4/day) | - |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Moment of clarity (3/day) | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Sense Void (empathic senses, 5/day) | - |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Void release | +1 level of existing class |
| 11th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Sense Void (6/day), moment of clarity (4/day) | +1 level of existing class |
| 12th | +6 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Void suppression, | +1 level of existing class |
| 13th | +6 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Sense Void (mental senses, 7/day), Void strike | - |
Source: Complete Divine
Oriental Adventures