Psion Prestige Class : Percipient
By Scott Brocius and Mark A. Jindra
"You should see what I see."
In the psionic culture, beings exist that alter their bodies to improve their psionic ability. Most of these beings form groups that concern themselves with the physical forms of psionics: the arts of the egoist and the psychic warrior. The percipients are different. While they too alter their physical form, they still believe the power of the mind is stronger than that of the body. They also know true strength is found in numbers, so they have formed a network of communication among themselves.
Those wishing to become a percipient must first discover the Ritual of the Oculist. The first percipients created this process to allow others to grow a physical third eye. Candidates searching for clues on the ritual eventually can encounter a percipient who will determine whether she should be allowed to join the ranks of percipients. If the percipient determines the candidate should not join, he directs the hopeful in a ritual that forever bars the individual from becoming a percipient. If the candidate is found worthy, the specifics of the ritual soon find its way into the candidate's waiting mind.
Performing the ritual is more than just a physical change for the percipient. It also serves as an acceptance into a psionic community, which while small, seems to have eyes everywhere.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Percipient, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Intimidate 2 ranks, Knowledge (psionics) 8 ranks, Spot 4 ranks.
- Feats: Alertness, Dodge, Psychoanalyst,
- Manifesting: Able to manifest a 3rd-level power.
- Special: Must research and perform the Ritual of the Oculist.
Ritual of the Oculist: Individual DMs should tailor the ritual to fit their campaign as far as gold piece expenditures and XP cost (if any). It should be a psionic process that allows the character to grow a third eye. In addition, the DM can require other services from the character since the group may have other demands as well.
Class Skills
The percipient's class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Listen, Profession, Psicraft, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are features of the percipient prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Percipients gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor, but they retain any previous knowledge they may have had.
Power Points*: When they gain a level, percipients gain power points per day as though they gained a level of psion. These power points are added to the character's previous total. Percipients gain bonus power points based on the key ability score for their primary ability. If the character previously could not gain bonus power points for high ability scores (as is the case for psychic warriors), she now chooses a primary discipline and can gain bonus power points based on the related ability score.
Powers Discovered: With each level, percipients discover powers as though they gained a level of psion. Powers are chosen from the psion power list. Their effective manifester level is increased by one for each level of the prestige class.
Psionic Combat: Psionic attack and defense modes are discovered as though the character were a psychic warrior of the same level as the prestige class. (Characters do not forget previously discovered attack and defense modes.)
0-Level Powers: Percipient levels count toward the level of the psionic character for determining the number of free manifestations per day or 0-level powers.
Psicrystals: Percipient levels count toward the level of psion for purposes of determining psicrystal intelligence and special abilities. Psicrystals are a class ability of psions. You must take at least one level of psion if you wish to encode a psicrystal.
Third Eye (Ex): When the percipient finishes the ritual at 1st level, she grows a physical third eye. While this eye provides many benefits, she loses the ability to use any third eye psionic items.
Initiative Modifier (Ex): Starting at 1st level and increasing at each level thereafter, the percipient adds a modifier to her initiative roll. Initially this is a penalty due to the increased amount of information processed by her third eye. As she gains levels as a percipient, she gains the ability to better deal with this increased information in tense situations.
Skill Bonus (Ex): At 1st level, the percipient gains a +2 modifier on Search and Spot checks. This bonus increases by +2 at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels.
Low-Light Vision (Ex): At 1st level, the percipient gains low-light vision or has her range tripled if she already possesses it. This requires a psionic power reserve of 1.
AC Bonus (Ex): At 2nd level, the percipient gains a +1 insight bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases by +1 at 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th levels.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, the percipient gains the ability to react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to be aware of it. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible foe. (She still loses any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.) If the character already has the Uncanny Dodge feat from a previous class, she gains improved uncanny dodge instead (see below).
Vigilant Sight (Sp): At 3rd level, the percipient gains the ability to manifest the vigilance power even if she does not meet the minimum stat requirements. Manifesting this power costs 1 power point less than normal (2 instead of 3). This is in addition to any other cost reductions she may have, but it always costs at least 1 power point.
Mesmerizing Gaze (Su): At 4th level, the percipient gains a power similar to a gaze attack. Unlike a regular gaze attack, this power works only during the percipient's turn. The percipient uses a standard action to trigger the power, and doing so costs 5 power points. The percipient chooses one living creature within 30 feet as the target for the power. The percipient and the target must be able to see each other (the power does not work on blind creatures). If the target fails a Will save (DC 13 + Wisdom bonus), it cannot take any actions except to defend itself. This lasts as long as the percipient maintains the gaze (minimum 1 round). To maintain the effect, the percipient must concentrate (a standard action each round). If anything breaks the line of sight or line of effect between the percipient and the subject, the effect is broken. If the target takes damage, it is entitled to a new Will save to break the gaze.
Darkvision (Ex): At 5th level, the percipient gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet, or adds 60 feet to her range if she already possesses darkvision. This requires a psionic power reserve of 3.
Focused Eye: At 5th level, all clairsentient powers manifested by the percipient cost 1 less power point to manifest than normal, to a minimum of 1 point. This is in addition to any other cost reductions she may have, but it always costs at least 1 power point.
Pain Gaze (Su): At 6th level, the percipient gains a power similar to a gaze attack. Unlike a regular gaze attack, this power works only during the percipient's turn. The percipient uses a standard action to trigger the power, and doing so costs 9 power points. The percipient chooses one living creature within 30 feet as the target for the power. The percipient and the target must be able to see each other (the power does not work on blind creatures). If the target fails a Fortitude save (DC 15 + Wisdom bonus), it is wracked with pain. This causes the target to suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks for 1 minute per manifester level.
Auric Sight (Sp): At 7th level, the percipient gains the ability to read the auras of a person or thing. This ability is a full-round action. The percipient learns four things about the target: Whether it's good or evil, whether it can manifest psionic powers or cast spells, what its relative power level is to her, and if it possesses any active psionic or magical effect. This power is a divination effect and magical effects that conceal auras, such as nondetection, defeat this power. This ability costs 7 power points to use
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 8th level, the percipient can no longer be flanked, since she can react to foes on opposite sides of her as easily as she can a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the percipient by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.
If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level needed to flank the percipient.
True Sight (Sp): At 9th level, the percipient gains the ability to manifest the true seeing power even if she does not meet the minimum stat requirements. Manifesting this power costs 1 less power point than normal (8 instead of 9). This is in addition to any other cost reductions she may have, but it always costs at least 1 power point.
Death Gaze (Sp): At 10th level, the percipient gains a power similar to a gaze attack. Unlike a regular gaze attack, this power works only during the percipient's turn. The percipient uses a standard action to trigger the power, and doing so costs 13 power points. The percipient chooses one living creature within 30 feet as the target for the power. The percipient and the target must be able to see each other (the power does not work on blind creatures). If the target fails a Will save (DC 17 + Wisdom bonus), it dies. On a successful save the target is unaffected.
Gaze of Many (Su): At 10th level the percipient gains the ability to use two different gaze powers (mesmerizing gaze, pain gaze, or death gaze). The percipient chooses which two of her gaze attacks that she will use. Each gaze attack is resolved separately in the order the percipient chooses. Activating the two powers is a standard action, and percipient must pay the power point cost for both powers. The total cost paid may exceed the percipient's metapsionic cap. The percipient may choose to concentrate on an existing mesmerize gaze effect as one of the two gaze attacks in the round. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 1 plus the percipient's Wisdom modifier.
| Percipient | Hit Die: d4 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Powers Discovered | Init Mod | PP | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | +1 psion | -3 | *see | Third eye, skill bonus, low-light vision |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | +1 psion | -2 | text | AC bonus, uncanny dodge |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | +1 psion | -2 | Skill bonus, vigilant sight | |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | +1 psion | -1 | AC bonus, mesmerizing gaze | |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | +1 psion | -1 | Skill bonus, darkvision, focused eye | |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | +1 psion | +0 | AC bonus, pain gaze | |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | +1 psion | +0 | Skill bonus, auric sight | |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | +1 psion | +1 | AC bonus, improved uncanny dodge | |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | +1 psion | +1 | Skill bonus, true sight | |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | +1 psion | +2 | AC bonus, death gaze, gaze of many | |
About the Authors
Mark A. Jindra has been a fan of Dungeons & Dragons for the past 25 years and has organized RPGA Network events for many conventions and game days, including Origins and Winter Fantasy. In 1998 he landed his dream job as a web developer for Wizards of the Coast and is currently (2003) the developer of the D&D website. Mark has authored or coauthored various tournaments for the RPGA Network, and he also coauthors the monthly Mind's Eye feature on the Wizards of the Coast website.
Scott Brocius has been "kicking around" with the D&D game since being introduced to it 1980. He's been an RPGA member for several years and has helped organize and run RPGA events for several conventions, including Origins. The new edition of D&D has renewed his love for and interest in the game. Scott also coauthors the monthly Mind's Eye feature on the Wizards of the Coast website.
Source: Web