Difference between revisions of "Mendicant"

Revision as of 09:04, 30 January 2008

Relying on fortune, testing her luck, and weaving the threads of fate in wild and interesting patterns, the mendicant extends her hand to the Wold and makes use of whatever the Wold drops into it. Mendicants have no common philosophy or drive. They do not often have the discipline to concentrate on any one thing in life, but they are jacks of all trades. They have no plans, they do not scheme, and they don't think more than one move ahead. Instead, mendicants take life as it comes, trusting to luck and serendipity, happenstance and spontaneity, as their recipe for success. Some mendicants delight in the sheer joy of embracing the unexpected -- they view life as a game, a joke, or a play. Other mendicants are fixated on luck and numerology -- they look for patterns in coincidence, they track lucky streaks, and they delight in finding hidden connections.

Those who are naturally lucky and those who seek luck often become mendicants, who honor Wardd in the way that plants honor the sun -- they bask in the radiance, but they don't expect the source of that radiance to do anything for them. Still, rarely, Wardd does notice a mendicant on a lucky streak, and that notice can take many forms. All mendicants have a devotion and commitment to Wardd that only clerics (and some witches) show.

As NPCs, mendicants are entirely unpredictable. People like to have them around as "good luck charms." Mendicants are often given gifts, both large and small -- and they often give gifts to others, in an effort to "spread the luck." Sometimes mendicants wander from place to place and people to people -- other times they settle down in one spot, or with one group. Although "mendicant" means "beggar," mendicants of Wardd do not ask for alms -- they just hold out their bowl and discover what they need inside. They honor Wardd by making good use of what life throws their way, relishing life's ups and downs as a way of testing fate.

Hit die: d8

Requirements

• Saves: Total combined base saves equal to +9 (Will + Fort + Reflex)
• Skills: At least one rank in twelve different skills
• Spellcasting: Must have the clerical Luck Domain
• Special: Must succeed on a Luck Quest (see below)

Table -- The Mendicant

Lvl...Att...Will...Refx...Fort...Special Abilities
.1.....+0....+2.....+2.....+0.....Beginner's Luck, In Wardd's Eye, +1 spellcast lvl
.2.....+1....+3.....+3.....+0.....Jack O'Trades, +1 spellcast lvl
.3.....+2....+3.....+3.....+1.....Improvise Tool, +1 spellcast lvl
.4.....+3....+4.....+4.....+1.....Everybody's Friend, +1 spellcast lvl
.5.....+3....+4.....+4.....+1.....Greater Luck, +1 spellcast lvl
.6.....+4....+5.....+5.....+2.....Lucky Find, +1 spellcast lvl
.7.....+5....+5.....+5.....+2.....Test Your Luck, +1 spellcast lvl
.8.....+6....+6.....+6.....+2.....Lucky Charm, +1 spellcast lvl
.9.....+6....+6.....+6.....+3.....Alter Fate, +1 spellcast lvl
10.....+7....+7.....+7.....+3.....Lucky Stiff, +1 spellcast lvl

Class Skills

The mendicant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Healing (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge [all] (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

A mendicant never chooses the predictable path, so a mendicant cannot ever take ten or twenty on a skill check. She must roll every time.

Skill Points per level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

• Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: Mendicants are proficient in light armor and shields. They are proficient with all simple weapons.

Note, however, that mendicants use the "Variant: Defense Roll" optional rule in the DMG (page 64*): The mendicant bases his AC for the round not on a base 10+adjustments, but on a base 1d20+adjustments, rolled at the start of his turn. The mendicant can use his abilities to modify this defensive roll just as he can modify his other rolls (see Greater Luck, below).

• Spells & Spell Progression: When a new mendicant level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (better wildshape, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of mendicant to the level of some other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before she became a mendicant, she must decide to which class she adds her mendicant levels for purposes of determining spells per day when she first adopts the PrC.

Note, however, that mendicants use the "Variant: Spell Roll" optional rule in the DMG (page 96*): When he casts a spell that allows a save, the mendicant bases his DC not on a base 10+adjustments, but on a base 1d20+adjustments. The mendicant can use his abilities to modify this spell roll just as he can modify his other rolls (see Lesser Luck and Greater Luck, below).

• Luck Quest: Sometimes mendicants embark on a "Luck Quest," as a way to test their luck, to honor Wardd, or just to have fun. Some call these a "Luck Test." When you go on a Luck Quest, you choose one possession to take with you. Then you lay out all your other possessions, magic and otherwise, close your eyes, and reach out and grab a couple handfuls of things (in game terms, roll 1d4+1 possessions at random). Those are all that you can take on the quest. If you prepare spells, you must prepare them randomly as well, each day that you are on the quest (and you can bring components for all your spells). As you go on the quest, you should follow your hunches and use anything that you find along the way. It is considered good luck to find ways to use the things you bring and discover. A mendicant only gains certain advantages while on a Luck Quest (see below). Non-mendicants can go on Luck Quests, of course -- and mendicant-candidates must do so before becoming a mendicant. A Luck Quest should last at least one day per mendicant level. If you end your quest early, you insult Wardd and lose all luck points for a week. After one day per level, though, you can end your quest after a run of good luck -- the luck is considered to be Wardd's gift for "winning" the Quest.

• Ethos of Materialism: Money and treasure won in a lucky manner should be donated to the church. It is considered lucky to find a ring of invisibility in a hole jumped into for protection from an enemy and use it to get away. It is considered unlucky to save a ring of invisibility for a rainy day. As a result, the temples of Wardd have basements filled with all sorts of magical items which they will use to help others attain good luck. It is important to note that mendicants seem to even be lucky with the items they store there, for it is not unusual for those lucky items to have only one charge left.

• Sect: Mendicants don't organize together in any way, but they often find that luck and happenstance bring them together. If two mendicants meet, especially on Luck Quests, it is considered a lucky encounter, and they will often pray together, possibly work together for a while, and when they part they will often exchange some of their possessions at random. Temples of Wardd are always open to mendicants -- mendicants who are about to go on Luck Quests often deposit their leftover possessions in the treasure rooms of Wardd's temples. When they come back for their possessions, sometimes they are there and sometimes not. If not, the mendicant can pick from whatever else is lying around to re-supply himself.

Special Abilities

• Beginner's Luck: The mendicant loses his luck domain re-roll ability. Instead, he receives luck points. Each morning, the mendicant receives one luck point per level. Up to five luck points may be spent to boost an attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or spell roll that targets a single person making one save (each point spent gives a +1 on the roll). If the roll succeeds, the mendicant gains back the points he spent, plus one. If the roll fails, the luck points are lost. The mendicant can have a maximum of 2 luck points per level at any one time. Every time the mendicant gains a hero point, the hero point is used to permanently raise this maximum by one. Using luck points is a free action. Note: using luck points when the outcome does not matter, or when there is no risk, is an insult to Wardd and results in losing the points spent regardless of the roll. Every morning, a mendicant's luck points are reset back to one point per level.

• In Wardd's Eye: Extended lucky streaks in difficult circumstances cause Wardd to notice the mendicant, and he may reward the character with additional luck points the next day. Such lucky behavior includes but is not limited to: affecting a roll with less than a 50 percent chance for success, or when points are expended and the mendicant rolls the exact number needed to succeed. All additional luck points received from Wardd must be used the day they are received or they are lost. Not using luck points received from Wardd is considered unlucky and an insult to the God of Luck. Numerology is important to the mendicant, because it gets you noticed by Wardd. For example, if on the 30th day of a Luck Quest, a mendicant used her luck points to successfully run across 30 yards of lava in 30 seconds and then fought and defeated 30 Flame Salamanders in 30 rounds, Wardd might notice her and reward her with permanent immunity to fire. It takes extraordinary luck to impress Wardd. He was very lucky as a mortal, and no God of Luck looked out for him!

• Jack O'Trades: If the mendicant has at least one rank in a skill, he gains a special bonus on skill checks equal to half his mendicant level. But if his ranks in the skill are greater than his mendicant level, he does not receive the bonus for that skill.

• Improvise Tool: While on a Luck Quest, the character can make do with whatever tool or item comes to hand on the spur of the moment. If she finds a weapon, she can use it without non-proficiency penalty. If she finds a magic item, she can trigger it safely, even though she may have no idea what it does. The mendicant can use the tool or item or weapon for the duration of the Luck Quest -- but after that she must discard it or give it away. Only items found by the mendicant herself can be improvised.

• Everybody's Friend: All creatures within very close range (5 ft. per level) who honestly wish the mendicant well and want to be her friend receive a +1 luck bonus on all attacks, saves, and skill checks. The mendicant cannot control this ability, which functions continuously.

• Greater Luck: The character can use luck points to affect any die roll -- not just attacks, saves, skill checks, and single-save spell rolls, but also damage rolls, defense rolls, spell resistance, turning checks, ability checks -- any roll. But for all rolls aside from attacks, saves, skill checks, and single-save spell rolls, after modifying the roll by up to +5, afterward the mendicant regains half the points spent, round down.

• Lucky Find: While on a Luck Quest, items tend to just fall into the character's hands. The character gains a bonus to search rolls equal to her mendicant level (this does not stack with the Jack O'Trades bonus). Even if the DM has not planned for an item to be found, there is a chance of finding something anyway. The DM secretly rolls a d12, unmodified by luck points. On a 1, nothing is found. On a 2-5, something non-magical and not obviously useful is found. On a 6-9, something non-magical and useful is found. On a 10 or 11, something magical but not obviously useful is found. On a 12, something useful and magical is found. The DM chooses what is found, and may be inspired by the table on page 113* of the DMG. This ability can be used only once per encounter.

• Test Your Luck: As a free action, allowed once per encounter, roll a d20. On a result of 11 or higher, pick a lucky result from the first list below. On a result of 10 or under, the DM will roll an unlucky result from the second list below and tell you when it takes effect. You cannot ever modify the "test your luck" roll in any way.
  • Lucky Results'

1. +9 on next save or attack roll
2. Heal up to nine hit points
3. +6 on all checks with a specific skill for one minute
4. Regain a used spell or spell slot of your choice
5. +3 on all saves or attacks for one minute
6. Select the right path at an intersection
7. +3 on the ability score of your choice for ten minutes
8. Gain a free standard action

• • 'Unlucky Results'

1. -6 on next save or attack roll (50/50)
2. Lose six hit points
3. -4 on all skill checks for one minute (50/50)
4. Lose an unused spell or spell slot, chosen randomly
5. -2 on all saves or attacks for one minute (50/50)
6. Get lost some time in the next day
7. -2 on a random ability score for ten minutes
8. Stunned for one round

• Lucky Charm: The mendicant can make any item he carries or wears lucky. He spends one luck point per day, for up to ten days, on the item. The luck points spent are stored in the item. Thereafter, any non-mendicant (and only a non-mendicant) who carries the item can use it, spending the stored luck points as if they were a mendicant too. Stored points spent by a non-mendicant are always spent, even if their rolls succeed. The mendicant can only be working on one lucky charm at a time, but when he finishes it, he can make another freely. Lucky charms are magic items with a market price of 50 gp per point stored -- but mendicants are often insulted when people sell their charms.<

• Alter Fate: Once per month, when the moon named Wardd is full, the mendicant can spend one minute in prayer in moonlight and ask for an alteration in the fabric of reality. The mendicant concentrates on a topic or theme The DM secretly rolls a d12, unmodified by luck points. On a 1, nothing happens. On a 2-4, some small irrelevant change occurs. On a 5-8, a somewhat relevant change occurs. On a 9-11, a small very relevant change occurs. On a 12, a large very relevant change occurs. There is no predicting the change, which is decided on by the DM. The results are not always helpful, although they usually tend not to be harmful.

For example, the mendicant meditates on a red dragon plaguing the land. A small irrelevant change: the mendicant falls asleep for a day, or finds a wand of detect magic, or gains five luck points. A somewhat relevant change: the character's next encounter is with a pseudo dragon; or the character's party meets an unexpected friend at the local pub, called the Happy Dragon; or an elf wearing dragon hide armor offers to hire the party. A small very relevant change: the mendicant is affected by a 20th level Resist Fire spell that lasts for 2d12 days, or finds 2d4 potions of Protection from Fire, or meets a kobold who knows the way to the back door of the dragon's lair. A large very relevant change would include a blue dragon coming on the scene and attacking the red dragon, or finding a Wand of Ice Storm, or the dragon attacks a local town. NOTE: The DM should use this ability to add fun and surprise to a module, NOT to ruin it!

• Lucky Stiff: If the mendicant dies for any reason but still has luck points, she can use all remaining luck points to change fate and alter reality. Based on however many luck points the character has left, the DM will alter past events so that the character is not dead. If the character has just a few luck points, she might find herself unconscious and captive in the hands of enemies. If she has many points, she might find that the blow that killed her was actually a fumble, and the weapon hits the ground instead of her and breaks. The result is entirely left up to the DM.