Difference between revisions of "Cradled"

Revision as of 11:45, 29 October 2011

Background

After the Fae King was reborn, he awoke his people and the land he created for them, the Cradle of the Wold. This fey kingdom had slept with the King for ages of the Wold. Eberyon and his people returned with enthusiasm not seen since the earliest dawn of the Wold. The King rose in anger at his long sleep, and attempted to use Nature herself as a weapon to conquer the Wold. The combined might of the Wold's heroes, aided by Queen Maab, the King's wife (who had been the one to put him to sleep in ages past), was enough to defeat the Fae King. In defeat, the King vowed to reform and atone. Although some mortals fear and shun the fey folk, others are drawn to the fey. As part of his atonement, King Eberyon now offers mortals a deep connection to the magic and power of the fey. Those who accept the power that the Fae King offers are the Cradled.

The King wants many people to accept his hand in friendship, so he has made it easy to be Cradled, and any mortal of any class can join the fey with a modicum of study. Those who seek out fey lore and who learn the fey tongue, Sylvan, can learn to cast spells, call on fey folk for favors and friendship, and gain wonderful gifts tailored to their particular interests. Those who seek martial prowess, especially learning the combat tricks and archery of the fey, become Cradled Armigers. Those who admire Eberyon's role as the creator of worlds become Cradled Makers. Seers and sages become Cradled Lorists. Those who summon fey creatures for service become Cradled Callers. Those who delight in pranks and cleverness become Cradled Tricksters. And those who share a devotion to the musical arts become Cradled Musicians.

As NPCs, many fey friends live in natural places, especially those where fey folk gather. Others wander, not only through the Wold, but into the realm of the fey, where time plays tricks. And of course, many NPCs accept the King's gifts and then go on with their lives. Some Cradled are noble, and others are corrupt, but all have a deep fascination with all fey creatures.

Hit Die: d6

Requirements

To qualify to become Cradled, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

• Skills: Knowledge (Nature) 3 ranks, Knowledge (Planes) 3 ranks
• Language: Must be able to speak Sylvan
• Special: The aspiring Cradled must stand in a fairy ring on the Day of the Nymph in the Month of the Lady and call out five times the names of the Fae King and his Queen.

Class Features

Class Skills: The fey friend's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (Geography, Local, Nature, Planes) (Int), Perception (Wis),Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points per level: 6 + Int modifier

Ethos: The Cradled think of themselves as emissaries, that is, as people who link the Wold to the Wold's Cradle, offering the friendship of mortals to the fey. Some fey greet the Cradled as long lost cousins, and other fey treat them with amusement or contempt. But Cradled and fey alike recognize that they are all favored of King Eberyon, so they hesitate to attack each other with fatal damage. All Cradled treat all Fey creatures with respect, even those they are forced to oppose or even fight. No emissary will ever attack a member of Maab's or Eberyon's royal courts except in self defense.

Some Cradled see it as their mission to spread the word of Eberyon's atonement, and his desire to aid the mortals of the Wold. They teach Sylvan to others, and even recruit others to join as new Cradled. But the Fae King himself places no burden of proselytization on his Cradled at all. Spreading the word is optional, although rewarding (see below).

It is worth noting, however, that the Fae King does not require his Cradled to worship him; moreover, he does not object when his Cradled have a devotion to another god or immortal power. In this way, he shows that his desire to reform is sincere.

Weapon & Armor Proficiency: The Cradled are proficient in all simple weapons, as well as with all long and short bows (including composite). They are proficient in light armor and all shields (except Tower Shields).

Spells and Spellcasting

Spells: A Cradled has the ability to cast a number of divine spells prepared from the Cradled Spell List (see below). To cast a Cradled spell, a Cradled must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a Cradled with a Charisma of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Cradled bonus spells are based on Charisma, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the Cradled's Charisma modifier. When the Cradled gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level. The Cradled's spell list appears below. A Cradled has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare, just as a cleric. A Cradled prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though a Cradled cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells).

Although the Cradled is a prestige class with a 10-level progression, it is possible to extend Cradled casting through a prestige class that advances spellcasting ability. Casting progression to level 17 is therefore possible through a 20-level career.

Orisons: A Cradled can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day, as noted on the table above. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Domain Spells: A Cradled gets a domain spell for each spell level, starting at 1st. The "+1" in the entries on the table above represents that spell. Domain spells are in addition to any bonus spells the Cradled may receive for having a high Charisma score.

Universal Special Abilities

Some special class abilities are common to all Cradled, regardless of their nature. These are detailed below.

Fey Atonement: As a sign that the Fae King is serious about atoning for his misdeeds, he gives his Cradled deep intuition into the motivations and goals of those under his dominion. At 2nd level you gain a +2 insight bonus whenever you interact with fey creatures, and a +1 bonus with magical beasts and creatures native to the Elemental Planes. This bonus applies to all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge, Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks. Interacting with creatures in these categories who have Int scores of 1 or 2, it also applies to Handle Animal, Ride, and Wild Empathy checks. If you use a planar ally spell to call a true fey creature to help you, then after you agree on a task and price, you can invoke the Fae King's name to reduce the agreed on price — a discount of d10 x 500 gp on the agreed-on services. If the discount is greater than the agreed-on price, the service is free. Negotiating this discount takes an extra round of discussion, in addition to the initial round of negotiation the spell mentions.

At 5th level, the bonus rises to +4 with fey and +2 with magical beasts and creatures native to the Elemental Planes; the price reduction for fey rises to d20 x 500 gp. At 8th level, the bonus rises to +6 with fey and +3 with magical beasts and creatures native to the Elemental Planes; the price reduction for fey rises to d100 x 500 gp.

Note that It can be hazardous to treat with the fey for favors, since they act capriciously and love to play tricks, even on mortals they like.

Spread the Word: At 3rd level, whenever you spend a friendly evening (at least three hours) talking to two or more characters about the fey in general and about the Fae King and his desire to help others, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Cradled level. These last until they are used up. Temporary hit points gained by using this ability on multiple occasions do not stack with themselves (although they do stack with temporary hit points gained from other sources). However, if you have used up some or all of your current temporary hit points, you can "top off" your total to its maximum level by using this ability. Characters who join your conversation willingly gain 1 temporary hit point as well. You can engage the same characters in conversation no more than once per month, or if it is more convenient for the DM, once per module.

Cradled Travel: At 6th level, when you travel to the Wold's Cradle (as with the Plane Shift spell or other method), you are protected from the greatest dangers of the plane. No member of Maab's or Eberyon's royal courts will attack you, and such creatures will save you if you are in danger of dying. Against all other fey encountered in the Wold's Cradle, you are warded as by a Sanctuary spell cast by yourself (DC11+Chr Modifier), but even if an enemy fey saves against the Sanctuary, you gain a +4 sacred bonus to AC and saves against attacks by fey creatures. You lose this protection for the rest of the day if you attack a fey creature. Moreover, when you leave the Wold's Cradle, you can modify the d100 roll for time and space mishap by an amount in your favor equal to your Cradled level; this modifier does apply to your entire group if you are traveling together.

King's Crest: At 9th level, you have earned the honor of wearing the Fae King's token, usually an acorn marked with the "A" glyph for atonement, or "R" for reform. If you wear this token, displaying it proudly, you gain your choice of a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, or a +1 luck bonus to your Cradled caster level. Most Cradled so honored wear the token on a shield or tunic, but other options are possible.

Cradled Natures

A Cradled chooses a Nature at first level, which reflects the Cradled's personal theme and interest. At first level, the Cradled may choose one domain, using Charisma instead of Wisdom for Domain Granted Powers. The choice of domain, however, depends on your Nature. A Cradled gains Fey Gifts at levels 1, 4, and 7; these too vary with Nature. And at level 10, the Cradled's Favored Child ability also depends on choice of Nature. These are detailed below.

Cradled Armiger

Your Nature is focused on combat and warfare, especially in the fey specialties of archery and trick fighting. You may bear the coat of arms of the Fae King: a sigil of four interlocking rings, the four rings of elemental creation with which Eberyon created the Wold's Cradle, and (some say) the Wold.

Domain: At 1st level you must choose one domain from these: Fey, War, or Weather.

Fey Gifts: At 1st, 4th, and 7th levels, you must choose one gift from these:

• Damage Resistance: You gain damage resistance 2/cold iron. You may select this gift up to three times; each time the DR rises by 2.

• Elemental Mastery: You gain +1 to hit and damage when fighting creatures with a burrow speed, a fly speed, or a swim speed, as well as against creatures with the Fire, Water, Air, and Earth subtypes. This bonus rises to +2 when fighting creatures native to the elemental planes, and it rises to +3 when fighting true elementals.

• Graceful Attack: You may use your Charisma instead of your Dexterity when making ranged attack rolls. You may also use Chr instead of Dex with melee weapons if you also have the Weapon Finesse feat and with combat maneuvers if you also have the Agile Maneuvers feat.

• Pixie Dust: You can decide to change an arrow's properties by sprinkling it with magical pixie dust. Doing so is a free action as long as you are the one who fires the arrow. You can generate a number of uses of dust equal to 3 plus your Charisma modifier each day. Once you apply pixie dust to an arrow, you must fire the arrow in the same round. As long as an arrow is altered in this way, it does not inflict damage when it hits — it only causes its new effect, with a Will save of 12 + Chr modifier. You must choose just one of the following three effects when you gain this gift: (1) Charm: The target must save or be affected as though by a charm monster spell for two minutes per Cradled caster level. (2) Memory Loss: The target must save or be affected by a modify memory spell, for one minute per Cradled caster level. (3) Sleep: The target must save or fall asleep for 1 minute per Cradled caster level. You may choose this gift up to three times, once for each effect. The number of uses per day does not change. You must be at least 4th level to select this gift.

• Quickling Speed: You move as fast as a Quickling when you move if you are in light or no armor and unencumbered. You gain a +10 bonus on your movement rate. You have a 20 percent miss chance against attacks of opportunity you provoke by moving, as well as by readied attacks triggered by your movement. You also gain the Uncanny Dodge ability.

• Quicktrick: You may make a Dirty Trick combat maneuver as a move action. You must be at least 7th level to select this gift.

Favored Child: At 10th level you gain a magic Redcap, which takes up the hat slot. When wearing your Redcap, you receive a +4 bonus on damage rolls and fast healing 3. These benefits are lost if the cap is removed or destroyed. Caps are not transferable. You can create a new cap to replace a lost cap with 10 minutes of work, although until you take a standard action to dip the cap in the blood of a foe that you helped to kill, the cap does not grant its bonuses. All Redcap fey you meet treat you as Friendly.

Cradled Caller

Your Nature is focused on summoning and inviting fey, elemental, and natural creatures to come to your aid. It can be dangerous to call on the fey for favors — even a "friendly" fey may play tricks or behave in ways that seem odd to a mortal. However, if anyone has the natural insight to deal safely with the fairy folk, it is the Cradled Caller.

Domain: At 1st level you must choose one domain from these: Fey, Animal, or Plant.

Fey Gifts: At 1st, 4th, and 7th levels, you must choose one gift from these:

• Augment Summoning: You gain the Augment Summoning feat, even if you do not meet the usual prerequisites.

• Captivating Lure: Like the kelpies, once per day, you can use a powerful mental attack to lure in a single creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Will saving throw or become captivated by the you. A victim under the effects of the captivating lure moves toward you using the most direct means available. If the path leads it into a dangerous area such as through fire or off a cliff, that creature receives a second saving throw to end the effect before moving into peril; the victim does not consider water a dangerous area, and will enter the water even if it cannot swim or breathe. A captivated creature can take no actions other than to move toward you and to defend itself, even if it is drowning. A victim within 5 feet of you simply stands and offers no resistance to your attacks. This effect continues as long as you is alive and the victim is within 1 mile of the kelpie. This is a mind-affecting charm effect. The will save DC is 13 plus your Charisma modifier.

• Contingent Conjuration: You can prepare a summoning or calling spell ahead of time to be triggered by some other event. This functions as described for the contingency spell, including that you must cast the summoning or calling spell beforehand. The spell is cast instantly when the trigger event occurs. The conditions needed to bring the spell into effect must be clear, although they can be general. If complicated or convoluted conditions are prescribed, the contingent conjuration may fail when triggered. The conjuration spell occurs based solely on the stated conditions, regardless of whether you want it to, although most conjurations can be dismissed normally. You can have only one contingent conjuration active at a time. You must be at least 7th level to select this gift.

• Improved Summons: When you cast a Summon Fey Friend spell, you may roll twice to determine the creature that answers the summons, selecting your choice of the two results rolled. You may also channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that you haven't prepared ahead of time. You can “lose” a prepared spell in order to spontaneously cast any Summon Fey Friend spell of the same level or lower.

• Queen's Speech: You may cast Speak With Animals and Speak with Plants as spell like abilities, with your current Cradled caster level, for a total number of times per day equal to 3 plus your Charisma modifier. You also gain the Wild Empathy ability.

• Swift Summons: When you cast Summon Fey Friend, you may change the casting time from one round to one standard action, but you must roll on the table for creatures of one level lower. You may change the casting time to a move action, but roll on the table two levels lower. You may change the casting time to a swift action, but roll on the table three levels lower. For example, with this gift you could cast Summon Fey Friend V with a full round casting time, rolling on the level V table. Or cast Summon Fey Friend V with a standard action, rolling on the Level IV table. Or cast with a move action casting time, rolling on the Level III table. Or cast as a swift action casting time, rolling on the Level II table. You must be at least 4th level to select this gift.

Favored Child: At 10th level you gain a Fey Familiar, which functions exactly as a wizard's familiar. You may choose from among the following: leprechaun, dryad, grig, twigjack, jinkin, pixie, pseudodragon, mite, and brownie. The individual you select has your alignment, regardless of what's typical for that race. Use your Cradled casting level to determine powers for your fey familiar.

Cradled Lorist

Your Nature is focused on the ancient and secret knowledge of the fey, the mysteries of the cosmos, and the deepest insights into the workings of Mother Wold.

Domain: At 1st level you must choose one domain from these: Fey, Knowledge, or Travel.

Fey Gifts: At 1st, 4th, and 7th levels, you must choose one gift from these:

• Bardic Lore: You add half your Cradled level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks and may make all Knowledge skill checks untrained. At 5th level, you becomes a master of lore and can take 10 on any Knowledge skill check in which you have at least one rank. You can choose not to take 10 and can instead roll normally. In addition, once per day, you can take 20 on any Knowledge skill check as a standard action. At 10th level, you can use any skill, even if the skill normally requires you to be trained. Cradled levels stack with levels in other classes that offer this ability, such as bard, seer, and loremaster.

• Favored Terrain: Your deep knowledge of geography grants you a favored terrain, exactly like the ranger ability, except that you cannot choose planes, underground, or urban as your favored terrain. You may take this gift more than once; each time you do, add an additional favored terrain exactly as a ranger would, specifically, select an additional favored terrain and also increase the skill bonus and initiative bonus (in the Wold, temporary hit point bonus) in any one favored terrain (including the one just selected, if so desired), by +2.

• Lore Keeper: Instead of encyclopedic knowledge, you learn most of your information through tales, songs, and poems. You may use your Charisma modifier instead of your Intelligence modifier on all Intelligence-based skill checks. You must be at least 4th level to select this gift.

• Natural Divination: You can read the entrails of a freshly killed animal or humanoid to gain an insight bonus equal to your Charisma modifier on one saving throw. Alternatively, by observing and interpreting the flights of birds, you may apply a +10 competence bonus on any one skill check. Finally, by charting marks in dirt or stone, or observing the behavior of sand when thrown into the wind, you gain a +4 insight bonus on one initiative check (in the Wold, 4 temporary hit points). These bonuses must be used during the next 24 hours and you must declare you are using the bonus before the check or save is made. Making a natural divination takes 10 minutes. You may use natural divination (in any combination) once per day plus one additional time per day for every four Cradled levels you have attained.

• Nymph's Grace: Through the secret lore of the nymphs, you have learned how to add your Charisma modifier as a racial bonus on all your saving throws. You must be at least 7th level to select this gift.

• Queen's Speech: You may cast Speak With Animals and Speak with Plants as spell like abilities, with your current Cradled caster level, for a total number of times per day equal to 3 plus your Charisma modifier. You also gain the Wild Empathy ability.

Favored Child: At 10th level you have learned the secret names of the genies. These noble shaitans, marids, efreet, and noble djinn can serve you or grant wishes. However, you do not know which names are linked to which kind of genies (roll 1d4 to determine which kind answers the call), and you can use a given name only once. Once per scene, if you cast a Greater Planar Ally spell, you can call one of these genies to you. You may negotiate a service as usual for the spell, with a 2d100 discount in price, or you can immediately request one free wish, after which the genie is free and will depart. Note that shaitans interpret wishes very strictly, djinni interpret wishes liberally, efreeti try to twist wishes if they can, and no one knows how a marid will fulfill a wish.

Notes on Fey Travel

Note that the DM makes all decisions physical and temporal displacement, as well as other dangers.

Some ground rules:

• the PC (and party) never returns to the Wold at an earlier time than they left. The exception being when the module depends on this and the PC's seek out a reverse time stream.
• the solo PC never arrives so distant in time or place that they are effectively written out of the module. The exception being a PC whose player wishes to go on walkabout for a fixed or indefinite period.
• the PC (and party) never returns to a time and/or place where survival is impossible
• For Lesser Fey Travel using teleport spell's d100 roll):
  • On Target = within 1d12 hours in time & 1d10 miles in distance
  • Off Target = within 3d8 hours in time & 3d10 miles
  • Similar Target - DM fiat but merely inconvenient or embarrassing
  • Mishap - DM fiat but hazardous

A Cradled character with the Cradled Travel class special ability can subtract his Cradled level from the d100 roll mentioned above.

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