Underdark Prestige Class : Deep Diviner
Deep diviners are intimates of the earth and all that it hides. A deep diviner knows the stones, structures, faults, hot spots, and mineral types of the Underdark, and they know her. She uses her earthborn power to locate fluxes of energy, especially earth nodes, with which she can recharge and augment her own arcane might. Some deep diviners can even call elemental spirits of the earth to do their bidding.
All deep diviners are skilled in some form of spellcasting - without that ability, node knowledge and other secret spells whispered by the stones would do her no good. Thus, wizards, sorcerers, clerics, and druids most commonly take up the deep diviner mantle.
Groups of deep diviners can often be found working together, protecting or shepherding particularly interesting (or node-rich) areas of the Underdark. On other occasions, a single deep diviner may strike out on her own in search of the perfect earth node to customize for herself. Lone deep diviners tend toward selfishness, though they are not necessarily evil. Deep diviners are rarely happy in groups that travel predominately on the surface of the earth, though some earth nodes near the upperworld do extend high enough to permit the occasional earthly communion so necessary to the deep diviner's soul.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Deep Diviner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Knowledge (Underdark local) 5 ranks, Survival 2 ranks.
- Feats: Spell Focus (Divination),
- Spells: Ability to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The deep diviner's class skills are Climb, Concentration, Craft (any), Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Profession, Spellcraft, Survival, and Swim.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the deep diviner prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Deep diviners gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day: At each deep diviner level except 6th, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or rebuking undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and the like). If the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a deep diviner, the player must decide to which class to add each deep diviner level for the purpose of determining spells per day, spells known, and overall caster level.
Locate Node (Su): At 1st level, a deep diviner gains the ability to sense the direction and strength of the nearest earth node, regardless of distance (see Node Magic). To locate the node, she must meditate for 10 minutes. She can use this ability once per day per deep diviner level, so a 3rd-level deep diviner could make three attempts to locate the nearest node in a single day.
The deep diviner's ability to sense earth nodes is blocked by even a thin sheet of lead, and by certain rare ores in the earth of the DM's choice.
Node Spellcasting: At 1st level, a deep diviner gains Node spellcasting as a bonus feat.
Speak To Stone (Sp): When a deep diviner reaches 2nd level, her presence can lend nearby rock and earth a fleeting awareness. This ability can be used once per day, and the sentience lasts for 1 minute per caster level of the deep diviner. During this period, the character can comprehend and communicate with stone and earth, including normally non-animate rock, worked stone, and dirt. She can pose questions to and receive answers from a pebble, a section of tunnel wall, or a pile of loose earth. A stone normally has no sense of its surroundings, but the deep diviner's presence allows it to recall a very limited amount of information. As with the stone tell spell, speaking stones may relate who or what has touched them and give complete descriptions of what is covered or concealed behind or under them.
Node Store: At 3rd level, a deep diviner gains Node Store as a bonus feat.
Summon Earth Elemental (Sp): Once per day at 5th level and above, the deep diviner can summon a Large earth elemental as though with the summon monster VI spell (caster level 12th).
Node Charge (Su): At 6th level, a deep diviner can tap the power of an earth node even from a distance. If she spends at least 4 hours in an earth node, she can leave with her connection to it intact. At any time during the next ten days while she is outside the keyed earth node, she can activate that connection for 1 minute as a free action. Once connected, the deep diviner can use all abilities granted to her by that earth node as if she were still within it. After using this ability, the deep diviner must return to an earth node and spend at least 4 hours within its confines (see Node Magic) before she can tap its power remotely again.
Metanode Spell: At 8th level, a deep diviner gains Metanode Spell as a bonus feat.
Wall of Stone (Sp): Upon reaching 9th level, a deep diviner gains the ability to use wall of stone (caster level 16th) once per day.
Mantle of Earth (Su): At 10th level, a deep diviner can become a greater earth elemental once per day for up to 10 minutes. This ability functions like the polymorph spell, except that the deep diviner gains all the elemental's extraordinary abilities and supernatural abilities. She also gains access to all the elemental's feats for as long as she remains in that form. Changing form is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
| Deep Diviner | Hit Die: d4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Locate node, Node Spellcasting | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Speak to stone | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Node Store | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Summon earth elemental | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Node Charge | - |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | - | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Metanode Spell | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Wall of stone | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Mantle of earth | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
Source: Underdark