Truename Prestige Class : Acolyte of the Ego
"Whenever I speak my truename, the world revolves around me for a change:" - Kalazart Candlesong, acolyte of the ego
An acolyte of the ego seeks to master but one truename - his own. In so doing, he learns to fortify himself against harm and unleash pain and suffering upon his enemies. He cares less about the truenames of other creatures. He devotes his study to his true self as he experiments with the pronunciation of his truename to increase his power.
Many acolytes of the ego begin as truenamers. After months or years spent learning how to uncover and speak various truenames, some truenamers develop a mild to moderate obsession with their own truenames and become acolytes of the ego as a result. By learning to speak their own truenames, they strive to unlock hidden powers lost to the cosmos.
Bards, with their affinity for the spoken word, are likewise drawn to the acolyte of the ego class. However, the prerequisites are such that any reasonably intelligent individual with a predilection for truenames could become an acolyte of the ego and unlock the power of his own truename.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Acolyte of the Ego, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Humanoid
- Skills: Truespeak 9 ranks
- Languages: Must speak at least four languages
Class Skills
The acolyte of the ego's class skills are Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Perform (oratory), Speak Language, and Truespeak.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Once you gain the ability to properly speak your own truename, you can learn to add specific cadences and alter it in other subtle ways. In so doing, you begin to unlock abilities you never knew you had.
Known Personal Truename: You know your own personal truename. However, pronouncing it correctly requires a Truespeak check with a DC equal to 15 + (2 x your HD) + 2. You get a +4 bonus on the Truespeak check because it's your personal truename.
Morphic Cadence (Sp): Starting at 2nd level, and at every even-numbered level thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th), you learn to pronounce your own truename with certain cadences that alter your personal reality. Each time you gain this ability, you learn a new morphic cadence (in other words, a new way to morph your truename), and your existing morphic cadences get incrementally better.
Activating a morphic cadence is a standard action, and you must successfully speak your personal truename, which requires a Truespeak check (see Known Personal Truename above).
The fabric of your reality can withstand only a certain amount of distortion. Thus, the law of Resistance (see page 233) applies to cadences. This means that each time you use the same cadence on the same day, the DC of the Truespeak check increases by 2. You can have as many cadences active at a time as you desire.
Cadence of the Distant Step: You can use dimension door (as the spell) to transport yourself and any items you are carrying a maximum of 100 feet per morphic cadence you know. You cannot use this ability to affect other creatures or any objects you aren't carrying.
Cadence of the Swallowed Spell: You gain spell resistance equal to 15 + 2 per morphic cadence you know. The benefit lasts for 1 round per class level.
Cadence of the Frightful Mind: You can frighten your foes (as the fear spell). The DC for the Will save to resist the effect is 10 + your acolyte of the ego level + your Cha modifier + the number of morphic cadences you know. The duration of the effect is 1 round per class level.
Cadence of the Iron Skin: You gain damage reduction 2/magic, plus an additional 2 points of damage reduction per morphic cadence you know beyond the first. In other words, a 10th-level acolyte of the ego who knows this cadence gains damage reduction 10/magic.
Cadence of the living Fortress: You gain a measure of resistance against critical hits for 1 round per class level. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored against you, there is a 20% chance per morphic cadence you know (maximum 100% if you know five morphic cadences) that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated, and damage is rolled normally instead.
Cadence of the Lost Wound: You gain fast healing equal to the number of morphic cadences you know. This benefit lasts 1 round per class level.
Cadence of the Lucky Fool: You gain a luck bonus on saving throws equal to the number of morphic cadences you know. This benefit lasts for 1 round per class level.
Cadence of the Mighty Bull: You gain an insight bonus to your Strength score equal to the number of morphic cadences you know for 1 minute.
Cadence of the Prowling Tiger: You gain an insight bonus to your Dexterity score equal to the number of morphic cadences you know for 1 minute.
Cadence of the Secret Mask: You can use disguise self (as the spell) for 1 minute per class level.
Cadence of the Thunder Drake: You can make a single breath weapon attack - specifically, a 20-foot cone of painful noise that deals 2d6 points of sonic damage per morphic cadence you know. The Reflex save to halve the damage is DC 10 + your acolyte of the ego class level + your Con modifier + the number of morphic cadences you know.
Cadence of the Ursine Heart: You gain an insight bonus to your Constitution score equal to the number of morphic cadences you know for 1 minute.
Resonant Voice (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you can speak your personal truename with a particularly deep, resonant voice. The DC for the Truespeak check increases by 5, but if the check succeeds, you treat your class level as three higher for the purpose of determining the effect and duration of any morphic cadence you use that round (see above).
Cadence Mastery (Su): Starting at 5th level, you can speak your personal truename with multiple morphic cadences at the same time. The DC of the Truespeak check increases by 5 for each additional morphic cadence you wish to activate after the first.
For example, a 6th-level bard/5th-level acolyte of the ego can properly speak her own truename with a DC 37 Truespeak check. However, she can add cadence of the prowling tiger and cadence of the thunder drake to her truename and gain the benefits of both with a successful DC 42 Truespeak check.
Alter Personal Truename (Su): At 7th level, you can alter your own truename slightly - just enough to make it difficult or impossible for others to utter it correctly. Any creature other than you that attempts to speak your truename takes a -4 penalty on the Truespeak check. At 9th level, this penalty increases to -8.
Recitation Feat: At 7th level, you gain a recitation feat as a bonus feat.
| Acolyte of the Ego | Hit Die: d8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Known personal truename |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Morphic cadence |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Resonant voice |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Morphic cadence |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Cadence mastery |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Morphic cadence |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Alter personal truename (-4), recitation feat |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Morphic cadence |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Alter personal truename (-8) |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Morphic cadence |
Acolyte Of The Ego Lore
Characters with ranks Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (local), or who have the bardic knowledge ability, can research acolytes of the ego to learn more about them. When a character makes a check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
- DC 15: Acolytes of the ego, like truenamers, practice a form of magic called truename magic.
- DC 20: An acolyte of the ego specializes in mastering his own truename, hoping to gain power from it.
- DC 25: An acolyte of the ego can alter his truename in strange ways, and with each change in inflection or cadence comes a different power. A skilled acolyte of the ego can master several of them.
Source: Tome of Magic