Truename Prestige Class : Bereft
"I own you." - Ladorose the Bleak
The bereft are a group of truenamers who devote themselves to mastering the word of unmaking, a powerful component of Truespeech purportedly able to unravel creation. Through liberal uses of the word's syllables, a bereft studies its effects so that one day he can master the complete word of unmaking and perhaps unlock the meaning of reality. As he advances in level as a bereft, he learns new syllables of unmaking that create a variety of disruptive effects. After much patient study, he finally learns how to combine these potent syllables into the terrible, deadly word of unmaking.
All bereft have some capability with Truespeech, making the truenamer class an obvious choice to meet the requirements for this prestige class. Bard levels grant the bereft an interesting suite of abilities that work well with those acquired from this class. Many bereft also take sorcerer or wizard levels to enhance their defensive capabilities through magic.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Bereft, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Any neutral
- Skills: Truespeak 13 ranks
- Languages: Must speak at least three languages
Special: Must have been the subject of the ritual of renaming spell. This costs 3,700 gp.
Class Skills
The bereft's class skills are Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Listen, Sense Motive, Speak Language, and Truespeak.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The bereft's class features hinge on the Truespeak skill. As your mastery grows, your capabilities begin to vary wildly from those of a typical truenamer. You can deal damage, reduce your enemies' effectiveness, and even utterly unmake an enemy's soul with the powerful word of unmaking.
Obscure Personal Truename (Ex): Upon becoming a bereft, you give up your natural truename and take pains to make your new one more difficult to discover. You gain a new truename by means of the ritual of renaming (see Entry Requirements), and you receive Obscure Personal Truename as a bonus feat.
Syllables of Unmaking (Sp): At each bereft level, you learn another syllable of the powerful word of unmaking. While each syllable unmakes a portion of an enemy in a different way, the syllables do share some common traits.
- Each syllable is a spell-like ability.
- Each syllable requires you to make a successful Truespeak check to affect the creature you target. See page 195 for the rules involved in making a Truespeak check.
- The law of Resistance applies to each syllable, so the Truespeak DC for repeated uses of a syllable increases by 2. See page 233 for a description of the law of Resistance.
- The range of each syllable is 60 feet.
- As with utterances, syllables need not be heard by the target to be effective.
- The caster level of each syllable is equal to your character level.
Syllable of Detachment: When you begin your career as a bereft, you learn the first syllable in the word of unmaking, the syllable of detachment. When you successfully speak the syllable, your target finds itself less capable. Even the most minor tasks are suddenly more difficult. The target takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks for a number of rounds equal to your class level. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Syllable of Affliction: Beginning at 2nd level, you can use Truespeak to temporarily alter a target creature's truename and remove one of four senses. If your Truespeak check is successful, the subject must make a Will save (DC 10 + class level + Cha modifier). If it fails, you temporarily erase one of the target's senses: sight (as per the blindness/deafness), hearing (as per blindness/deafness), smell (negates scent ability), or touch (-2 circumstance penalty on Climb, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Jump, Open Lock, Search, Tumble, and Use Rope checks). The effect of this ability remains for a number of rounds equal to your class level. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Syllable of Exile: When you attain 3rd level, with a successful Truespeak check you can temporarily send a target of this syllable to a confusing pocket dimension. This ability functions as a maze spell, but the subject is trapped in the maze for only 1 round. It can still attempt an Intelligence check to escape on its turn as normal, but doing so is only a swift action (as opposed to a full-round action, as normal for a maze spell). Thus, if it escapes, the creature can act normally on its turn. This ability is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.
Syllable of Dissolution: When you reach 4th level, your proficiency with the syllables of unmaking has nearly reached its pinnacle. You can now unmake a portion of a creature's physical essence. If you succeed on your Truespeak check, your target takes 8d6 points of damage, as portions of its body are ripped away and destroyed. This ability is the equivalent of a 7th-level spell.
Syllable of Enervation: At 5th level, you learn the final syllable of the word of unmaking. If your Truespeak check is successful, your target gains two negative levels. There is no saving throw to avoid gaining the negative levels, but 24 hours after gaining them, the subject of the word of unmaking must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Cha modifier) for each negative level gained. If the save succeeds, that negative level is removed. If it fails, the negative level also goes away, but one of the subject's character levels is permanently drained. This ability is the equivalent of an 8th-level spell.
Word of Unmaking (Sp): The ultimate power of a bereft is the ability to remove a creature's soul from the fabric of reality. By combining all the syllables of unmaking into one terrible word, you can make a Truespeak check as a full-round action and target a creature that has died. You must be within touch range of the corpse to use this ability, and doing so provokes attacks of opportunity. If your Truespeak check is successful, the creature cannot be raised from the dead or animated through any means. Only a ritual of renaming combined with a true resurrection spell cast together can return the creature to life. You cannot target an undead creature with this ability, but you could target its remains. Using this ability costs 100 XP.
| Bereft | Hit Die: d6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Obscure Personal Truename, syllable of detachment |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Syllable of affliction |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Syllable of Exile |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Syllable of dissolution |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Syllable of enervation, word of unmaking |
Bereft Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research bereft 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: Words exist that can render men insane merely by speaking them.
- DC 15: The bereft are masters of a particular grouping of destructive words of power that can destroy and maim. In principle, they act as the custodians of these words.
- DC 20: The bereft claim to guard these words and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
- DC 30: A faction within the bereft organization wants to destroy reality.
A bardic knowledge check can reveal the same information a Knowledge check, and in each case the DC is 5 lower than the given value.
Source: Tome of Magic