Zessa's Profession Shop

[Sword Guy]

Hey there! This is my store, where you can become anything you want . . . within limits! I have a few books on how to construct mechanical animals, a tome of knowledge about Piston Angels, an autobiography of the first Infinite Clock Knight, and a lot of other things. Feel free to browse through them. Occasionally they'll change in your hands, but don't worry about it. Oh, and keep an eye out for new books. They'll be appearing and disappearing now and then.

Infinite Clock Knight (DragonMech)

“Most think that coglayers are ineffective in battle. But we few know better. One of us is more effective than a company of plain soldiers.”

Many coglayers and gearwrights looked at how weak they were physically, and simply made sure not to get into any fights. Others started to train in the martial arts, leaving behind their machines for a trusty sword or bow. But there were some that decided that machines were the only way to increase their fighting abilities. The first coglayer with this scheme built the first suit of hydraulic armor, and from there a new way of the warrior was created. The way of the infinite clock knight.

Hit Die: d10
Maximum class level: 10

Requirements:
Equipment: Must have a fitted suit of hydraulic armor
Feats: Craft Steam Gear, Gearhead,
Steam Powers: Ability to maintain 12 steam powers (including bonus given by Gearhead)

Skills: Craft (mechcraft) 10 ranks, Knowledge (steam engines) 10 ranks
Class Skills: Craft (blacksmithing) (Int), Craft (mechcraft) (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (steam engines) (Int), Listen (Wis), and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier

Class Features
All the following are Class Features of this prestige class:
lv...BAB....Fort...Ref...Will.....Special
1...+1.......+2.....+0....+0.... Hydraulic Grace
2...+2.......+3.....+1....+1.... Parts Combat +1
3...+3.......+3.....+1....+1....
4...+4.......+4.....+1....+1.... Steam Strike
5...+5.......+4.....+2....+2.... Parts Combat +2, Integrated Parts
6...+6/+5..+5.....+2....+2....
7...+7/+2..+5.....+2....+2....
8...+8/+3..+6.....+3....+3.... Parts Combat +3
9...+9/+4..+6.....+3....+3....
10.+10/+5.+7....+3....+3..... Integrated Parts
Steam Powers: 0 + Int, 1 + Int, 2 + Int, 3 + Int, 4 + Int, 4 + Int, 5 + Int, 5 + Int, 6 + Int, 6 + Int

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Infinite clock knights are proficient in hydraulic armor. They gain no other proficiencies.

Hydraulic Grace: An infinite clock knight has learned how to move easily in hydraulic armor, despite the bulk. They may now run in hydraulic armor at four times their base land speed, or five with the Run feat.

Parts Combat: The infinite clock knight may choose two steam powers from the following list: drill, iron arm, pilot light, or spark generator. They gain a +1 steam bonus to attack rolls where the steam power is directly involved. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 and 8th level. As normal with bonuses, multiple steam bonuses do not stack.

Steam Strike: The infinite clock knight may focus his energies into his steam equipment, making it more powerful for a brief moment. The infinite clock knight may, once per day per four class levels, choose to deal maximum damage with a single steam-powered weapon. This includes steam powers. The knight makes an attack roll as normal, and if the attack hits, all damage is maximum for that strike (all d4s roll 4s, all d10s roll 10, etc.). Using this ability is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Integrated Parts: This ability functions as the coglayer ability of the same name

[Sword Guy]

(Sorry about the tables, but they're the best I think I can do)

Piston Angel (DragonMech)

“You use your machines. I am my machines.”

Piston angels are adherents of Dotrak that are given special powers. Unlike the vessel of Dotrak, the piston angel grows in power at a regular rate. The vessels of Dotrak are more connected to Dotrak’s essence as they gain levels, but the piston angels can be sure that when Dotrak favors them, they will continue to grow as piston angels. Piston angels are, in the still-growing divine hierarchy, subservient to the vessels themselves. As Dotrak’s power waxes, the piston angels grow in number and power. And while the vessels will be the prophets of the new church, the piston angels will be truly divine priests.

Hit Die: d10

Maximum class level: 10

Requirements:
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Skills: Craft (mechcraft) 10 ranks, Knowledge (steam engines) 10 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks
Religion: Must worship Dotrak, the Great Engine

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Craft (mechcraft), Craft (blacksmithing) (Int), Disable Device (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (any) (Int), Knowledge (steam engines) (Int), Knowledge (mechs) (Int), Listen (Wis), Mech Pilot (Dex) Profession (Wis), Profession (engineer), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Int modifier

Class Features
All the following are Class Features of the piston angel prestige class:
lv...BAB....Fort...Ref...Will.....Special
1...+0.......+2.....+0....+0.... Clockwork Heart, Aura of Law
2...+1.......+3.....+1....+1.... Engine Soul
3...+2.......+3.....+1....+1.... Mystic Technology
4...+3.......+4.....+1....+1....
5...+3.......+4.....+2....+2.... Machine Reaction
6...+4.......+5.....+2....+2.... Turn/Rebuke Constructs
7...+5.......+5.....+2....+2.... Mech Ghost
8...+6/+1..+6.....+3....+3....
9...+6/+1..+6.....+3....+3.... Prophet of Dotrak
10.+7/+2..+7.....+3....+3..... Wings, Clockwork Body

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The piston angel is proficient with all armors (including hydraulic armor), and all simple weapons.

Clockwork Heart: The first thing a new piston angel notices is that her chest appears to be ticking. Her heart has been replaced with an intricate, beautiful pump. No one can see this heart without cutting the piston angel open, but it is audible to anyone standing nearby (Listen check, DC 10 within 5 feet, inaudible past there). The clockwork heart is immune to rust of any kind, be it magical or mundane.

Aura of Law: The power of a piston angel’s aura of law is equal to her piston angel level, just like the aura of a cleric of a lawful deity.

Engine Soul: At 2nd level, the piston angel gets their Charisma modifier (if positive) to all her saving throws.

Mystic Technology: The piston angel gains the following spell-like abilities: Shocking Grasp 1/day, Rusting Grasp 1/day.

Machine Reaction: The piston angel gains the following spell-like abilities: Shocking Grasp 1/day, Rusting Grasp 1/day, Wall of Iron 1/day.

Turn/Rebuke Constructs: At 5th level, the piston angel may now rebuke or command constructs, just as an evil cleric rebukes and commands undead. This ability requires a holy symbol of Dotrak, a toothed gear set with intricate scrollwork of gold and platinum. Such a symbol requires 300 gp to create.

Mech Ghost: The piston angel gains the following spell-like abilities: Ironclad 1/day.

Prophet of Dotrak: At 9th level, the piston angel is now completely connected with Dotrak. Three times per day, she may meditate for half an hour. For the next hour, she gets a +20 competence bonus on all Craft (mechcraft), Disable Device, Knowledge (steam engines) and Profession (engineer) checks.

Wings: At 10th level, the piston angel grows a pair of mechanical, metal wings. She may now fly at twice her movement speed with average maneuverability.

Clockwork Body: The piston angel is no longer a creature of flesh. Her skin becomes metal, and she becomes immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects. She is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. She is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect works on objects). She is not subject to death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 Hit Points, immediately dies. Unlike a construct, she can be resurrected or raised, and her body heals damage normally. She must still eat and drink as a normal person.

(This may be a bit overpowered. And the lawful alignment was because I thought about a paladin of Dotrak, and they could not be entirely neutral. Besides, machines rely on the lawfulness of the world.)

[Shadetree]

I really like the ICK might just have to use him sometime soon.


just a quick tip if you put your tables in [ code ] brackets you can format it easier. you'll end up playing with the spacing by using the preview button to get everything lined up but here's what it looks like when you're done.

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 Lvl   BAB      Fort   Ref   Will    Special
  1    +0       +2     +0    +0     Clockwork Heart, Aura of Law 
  2    +1       +3     +1    +1     Engine Soul 
  3    +2       +3     +1    +1     Mystic Technology 
  4    +3       +4     +1    +1     
  5    +3       +4     +2    +2     Machine Reaction 
  6    +4       +5     +2    +2     Turn/Rebuke Constructs 
  7    +5       +5     +2    +2     Mech Ghost 
  8    +6/+1    +6     +3    +3 
  9    +6/+1    +6     +3    +3     Prophet of Dotrak 
  10   +7/+2    +7     +3    +3     Wings, Clockwork Body 

[Sword Guy]

(Hmm, I'll have to try that bracketing. Maybe this is it?)

Machine Host (DragonMech)

“Clockworks and engines and creatures, oh my!”

Clockwork familiars are a staple of the College of Constructors. Many clockwork rangers have semi-mechanical beings that follow them around. But coglayers have no such loyal assistants. Some coglayers and gearwrights have tried to remedy this by building clockwork puppets, a stopgap solution at best. But there are those who consider the quest for a mechanical animal the highest of callings, and mean to ensure that familiars are not the only technological beings to exist. They are machine hosts.

Hit Die: d6

Maximum class level: 10

Requirements:
Feats: Craft Steam Gear
Skills: Knowledge (steam engines) 9 ranks, Craft (mechcraft) 9 ranks
Steam Powers: Must be able to sustain at least 3 steam powers.

Class Skills: Craft (any) (Int), Craft (blacksmthing) (Int), Craft (mechcraft) (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (any) (Int), Knowledge (steam engines) (Int), Profession (engineer) (Wis), and Search (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features
All the following are Class Features of the machine host prestige class:

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 Lvl   BAB      Fort   Ref   Will    Special
  1    +0       +0     +0    +2     Mechanized Companion, Speak with Constructs 
  2    +1       +1     +1    +3     Construct Friendship
  3    +2       +1     +1    +3      
  4    +3       +1     +1    +4     
  5    +3       +2     +2    +4     2nd Mechanized Companion
  6    +4       +2     +2    +5     Turn/Rebuke Constructs 
  7    +5       +2     +2    +5     Mech Ghost 
  8    +6/+1    +3     +3    +6 
  9    +6/+1    +3     +3    +6     3rd Mechanized Companion 
  10   +7/+2    +3     +3    +7      

Mechanized Companion: At 1st level, a machine host gains a mechanized companion selected from the following list: mech badger, techeagle, mech hawk, mech warhorse (light or heavy), mech owl, mech warpony, techsnake (Small or Medium viper), or techwolf. The companion is an animal of the appropriate type with the Mechanized template added.
This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name, but is treated for the purposes of special abilities (not Hit Dice, Intelligence, or et cetera) as a druid two levels higher than the machine host’s class level.

Speak with Constructs: Spell-like ability. Usable once per day per level

Construct Friendship: Spell-like ability. Usable once per day per two levels

2nd Mechanized Companion: At 5th level, the machine host gets a secondary mechanized companion. The secondary mechanized companion follows the same rules as the primary (above), but is counted as four levels lower for all purposes.

3rd Mechanized Companion: At 9h level, the machine host gets a tertiary mechanized companion. The tertiary mechanized companion follows the same rules as the primary (above), but is counted as eight levels lower for all purposes.

Mechanized Template:
—No Constitution score.
—Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease , death effects, and necromancy effects.
—Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Craft (mechcraft) skill.
—Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
—Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
—Since it was never alive, a mechanized cannot be raised or resurrected.
—Because its body is a mass of unliving matter, a mechanized is hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points based on size, as shown on the following table.

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 Size                      Bonus Hit Points
 Fine                              0
 Diminuative                       0
 Tiny                              0
 Small                            10
 Medium                           20
 Large                            30
 Huge                             40
 Gargantuan                       60
 Colossal                         80

—Proficient with its natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weapon mentioned in its entry.
—Proficient with no armor.
—Mechanized creatures do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

[Sword Guy]

Techno Bowman (DragonMech)

“Magic arrows? No way! My arrows are 100% mechanical. The people I shoot don’t know the difference?!”

Many know of the arcane archers, elven or half-elven heroes that use magic to make their arrows fly true and destroy their enemies. Some coglayers once saw this, and decided that their steam powers would have to emulate the arcane archer’s abilities before they could truly call magic obsolete. So, they used their own ingenuity to build a mechanical, steam-powered bow. The experiment worked so well that an entirely new type of warrior grew up around it: the techno bowman.

Hit Die: d8

Maximum class level: 10

Requirements:
Feats: Craft Steam Gear, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (long steambow or short steambow)
Skills: Craft (mechcraft) 9 ranks, Knowledge (steam engines) 9 ranks

Class Skills: Craft (Int), Craft (mechcraft) (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (steam engines) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex)

Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier

Class Features
All the following are Class Features of the techno bowman prestige class:

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 Lvl   BAB      Fort   Ref   Will    Special
  1    +1       +0     +2    +0      Stress Steambow +1
  2    +2       +1     +3    +1     
  3    +3       +1     +3    +1      Clockwork Critical
  4    +4       +1     +4    +1     
  5    +5       +2     +4    +2      Stress Steambow +2
  6    +6/+1    +2     +5    +2      
  7    +7/+2    +2     +5    +2      Steam Critical
  8    +8/+3    +3     +6    +3 
  9    +9/+4    +3     +6    +3      Stress Steambow +3
  10   +10/+5   +3     +7    +3      Steambow Affinity

Stress Steambow: The techno bowman has learned enough about steambows that he can feel the breaking point. Once per day per level, the techno bowman can choose to perform a stressed shot. This grants a +1 steam bonus to attack and damage rolls, but is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 at 9th level.

Clockwork Critical: The techno bowman has learned exactly which springs in a steambow grant the most power. The base threat range of a steambow type the techno bowman has Weapon Focus in is increased by one.

Steam Critical: The techno bowman has figured out which moments to activate the steam engine in the bow. The critical multiplier for a steambow type the techno bowman has Weapon Focus in is increased to x4.

Steambow Affinity: The techno bowman has become so entwined with their steambow that every single shot is made with utmost precision. The stressed shot ability may be performed as a standard action, but may not be used for a full attack action.

(So, is anyone going to comment on any of these? Bad as well as good. There's got to be something you think about these!)

[Sword Guy]

So, I'm that bad at writing PrCs, yes? I feel unworthy to post in these forums . . .

I'd design and post more classes, but someone has to respond to them! I can't just post them and leave them there, or I have no idea what improvements to make.

For the glory of Seroficitacit, help me change these!

[Reese]

well, i'd say the stress steam bow doesn't get powerful fast enough, if this is to parallel the arcane archer

on the other hand, i can't say that the other abilities are above or below the arcane archer in terms of ability...

against constructs, weaker; against creatures weak to critical hits, more powerful

one thing, though, is that the arcane archer has a clear advantage in being able to fire arrows that can penetrate damage reduction weak to magic (or DR weak to thier level of arrow enchanting, if you go 3.0)

i would, personally, increrase the rate of stress bow bonus to a +5 at 10th level, and make it an enhancement bonus (which won't stack with magic bonuses of magic arrows)

also, some tech related abilities simaler to the arcane archer's arow enchanting abilities...

example:

Dragline
The Steam Bowman can attatch a dragline to an arrow fired, and steer it's course (within a certain limit) to improve his chance to hit. The Steam Bowman must declare this attack before making the attempt, and a failed attack wastes the action. The steam bowman choses one target within the normal range of his bow, and fires one arrow as a full round action. Against this one enemy, the bowman takes only ahlf penalty for range and movement.
This attack can be used as oftem as the bowman wishes, but requires a spool of flexible metal wire attatched to the steam bow itself. The spool costs 1000gp, and takes 1 round per 10 feet the arrow traveled to reel in. only one such spool may be attatched to a single Steam Bow, and only a bowman with this ability may use the spool to achieve this effect.

this is simaler to the Arcane archer's 'seeker arrow' special attack, and would probably be gained at around the same level

(FYI, anti-tank missles fired from jeeps in WWII were steered in this manner, except four wires were used for complete vertical and horizontal control... i figured that that would be a little much to work into an ability)

[Sword Guy]

Yeah, I was a bit iffy about making the Stress Steambow ability into an enhancement bonus, since enhancement bonuses are usually used for magic items. This isn't magic, so I thought that a steam bonus would be more appropriate. But I'll mull over it.

As for the Dragline special ability, I like the concept. Would the Techno Bowman pull on the wire in the right directions, or is there some complicated device that would do it for him? (I'm not a WWII aficionado) I might just give a flat bonus to hit and damage, since there is the problem that a wire sags as you pull it further. Maybe a flat bonus that would only be of so much help beyond a couple of range increments?

Anyway, thanks for the comments. If a few days I'll post the "official Reese version" of the Techno Bowman.

[Reese]

heh, i can't say i'm much of a WWII expert either, but my dad like to read novels about that kind of stuff, and i pick up some of it from him (you should hear the dirty jokes )

IRL, the whole wire concept wouldn't work at all, bcasue an arrow flies on a trajectory, and you'd need more than one arrow to do anything more than make the arrow's path curve in one direction anyway

i imagine that the skill uses player ability to control the wire, not machinery, though (otehrwise, anyone could pick up a properly enhanced bow...)

i limited it to the normal max range becasue of the wire length... i figured that the wire can't be too long or bad things would happen (as an in-game reason for limiting it's power)

of course, the arcane archer has a few more abilities than this, like it's death arrow at 10th level, i was just trying to ape the seeker arrow ability
(which negates cover, not range penalties...)

maybe the ability to penetrate points of hardness around the time a arcane archer gets the arrow that can pass through walls...

[Sword Guy]

I can just see it, the final face-off between the arcane archer and the techno bowman. They're both given a wall, with a target on the other side, and told to shoot the target.

Arcane archer: seeker arrow, arrow lands in middle of target.

Techno bowman: draws the bow back, and fires. After the dust clears, there's a nice hole in the wall, the target, the padding behind the target, the wall behind the padding, the room, the next room, and the arrow seems to have stopped in the middle of the opposite archery range.

Haha. Actually, I thought of making the techno bowman able to perform a kind of ranged sunder, but it ran into so many troubles that the idea was scrapped. As for the wire, I'll post that. It may have some minor revisions to make it fit better, but the basic idea is great.

[Phasma Felis]

I quite like the Infinite Clock Knight. I might tweak its abilities a bit if I actually used it, but offhand I can't think of how. Haven't had a chance to ponder the others yet. Keep 'em coming, though.

[Sword Guy]

Mechanical Bowmaster (DragonMech)

This is a variant of the Techno Bowman class, using recent input and a few ideas from the Complete Warrior book.

Hit Die: d8

Maximum class level: 10

Requirements:
Feats: Craft Steam Gear, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (long steambow or short steambow)
Skills: Craft (mechcraft) 9 ranks, Knowledge (steam engines) 9 ranks

Class Skills: Craft (Int), Craft (mechcraft) (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (steam engines) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex)

Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + Int modifier

Class Features
All the following are Class Features of the techno bowman prestige class:

Code: Select all

 Lvl   BAB      Fort   Ref   Will    Special
  1    +1       +0     +2    +0      Stress Steambow +1
  2    +2       +1     +3    +1      
  3    +3       +1     +3    +1      Dragline
  4    +4       +1     +4    +1      Stress Steambow +3
  5    +5       +2     +4    +2      
  6    +6/+1    +2     +5    +2      
  7    +7/+2    +2     +5    +2      Ranged Sunder
  8    +8/+3    +3     +6    +3      Stress Steambow +5
  9    +9/+4    +3     +6    +3      
  10   +10/+5   +3     +7    +3      Steambow Affinity, Stress Steambow +7

Stress Steambow: The techno bowman has learned enough about steambows that he can feel the breaking point. Once per day per level, the techno bowman can choose to perform a stressed shot. This grants a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, but is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. This bonus increases to +3 at 4th level, +5 at 7th level, and +7 at 10th level.

Dragline: The mechanical bowmaster can attach a dragline to an arrow fired, and steer it's course (within a certain limit) to improve his chance to hit. The mechanical bowmaster must declare this attack before making the attempt, and a failed attack wastes the action. The mechanical bowmaster choses one target within the normal range of his bow, and fires one arrow as a full round action. The bowmaster may treat the chosen opponent as if they were four range increments closer (only for the purposes of range penalties, not for maximum range). This attack can be used as oftem as the mechanical bowmaster wishes, but requires a spool of flexible metal wire attached to the steambow itself. The spool costs 1000 gp, and takes 1 round per 10 feet the arrow traveled to reel in. Only one such spool may be attatched to a single steambow, and only a mechanical bowmaster with this ability may use the spool to achieve this effect.

Ranged Sunder: The mechanical bowmaster gains the bonuses of the Ranged Sunder feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. However, this ability only works with a type of steambow that the mechanical bowmaster has Weapon Focus in.

Steambow Affinity: The techno bowman has become so entwined with their steambow that every single shot is made with utmost precision. The stressed shot ability may be performed as a standard action, but may not be used for a full attack action.