Lotus Disciple (3.5e Prestige Class)

Lotus Disciple
"I was born a slave, a dancer in fact. Then they showed me the True Dancing, the way of the Lotus Dance."

Lotus Disciple are a mysterious sect who developed in early ages the way of the Lotus Dance. Combining Spellcasting and the grace of dance, they mastered a strange method of spellcasting. They learnt how to make the Divine Symbol with their hand, feet and bodies in unison with their souls, calling some strange yet powerful divine power.

Becoming a Lotus Disciple
Lotus Disciple class is for players who want different spellcasters.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Lotus Disciple.

Her alignment may restrict her from casting certain spells opposed to her moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells, below. A lotus disciple must choose and prepare her spells in advance (see below).

To prepare or cast a spell, the lotus disciple must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a lotus disciple’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the lotus disciple’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a lotus disciple can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Lotus Disciple. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.

A lotus disciple do prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does. A lotus disciple may prepare and cast any spell on the lotus disciple spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

The Lotus cannot cast any spell while wearing armor, and in order to cast any spell she must perform her lotus dance (see below).

Spontaneous Casting: A lotus disciple can channel stored spell energy into charm spells that she hasn’t prepared ahead of time. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any charm/compulsion spells spell of the same level or lower.

0&mdash;Daze, Dancing Lights, Flare, Light, Ray of Frost, Ghost Sound.

1st&mdash;Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Burning Hands, Floating Disk, Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Color Spray, Disguise Self, Magic Aura, Silent Image, Ventriloquism.

2nd&mdash;Daze Monster, Hideous Laughter, Touch of Idiocy, Continual Flame, Darkness, Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Blur, Hypnotic Pattern, Invisibility, Minor Image, Mirror Image, Misdirection, Phantom Trap.

3rd&mdash;Deep Slumber, Heroism, Hold Person, Rage, Suggestion, Blacklight, Daylight, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Wind Wall, Displacement, Illusory Script, Invisibility Sphere, Major Image.

4th&mdash;Charm Monster, Confusion, Crushing Despair, Geas, Lesser, Dweomer of Transference, Fire Shield, Ice Storm, Resilient Sphere, Shout, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice, Hallucinatory Terrain, Illusory Wall, Invisibility, Greater, Phantasmal Killer, Rainbow Pattern, Shadow Conjuration.

5th&mdash;Dominate Person, Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Mind Fog, Symbol of Sleep, Cone of Cold, Interposing Hand, Sending, Wall of Force, Dream, False Vision, Mirage Arcana, Nightmare, Persistent Image, Seeming, Shadow Evocation.

6th&mdash;Geas/Quest, Heroism, Greater, Suggestion, Mass, Symbol of Persuasion, Chain Lightning, Contingency, Forceful Hand, Freezing Sphere, Mislead, Permanent Image, Programmed Image, Shadow Walk, Veil.

7th&mdash;Hold Person, Mass, Insanity, Power Word Blind, Symbol of Stunning, Delayed Blast Fireball, Forcecage, Grasping Hand, Mage's Sword, Prismatic Spray, Invisibility, Mass, Project Image, Shadow Conjuration, Greater, Simulacrum.

8th&mdash;Antipathy, Binding, Charm Monster, Mass, Demand, Irresistible Dance, Maddening Scream, Symbol of Insanity, Sympathy, Clenched Fist, Polar Ray, Shout, Greater, Sunburst, Scintillating Pattern, Screen, Shadow Evocation, Greater, Telekinetic Sphere.

9th&mdash;Dominate Monster, Hold Monster, Mass, Crushing Hand, Meteor Swarm, Shades, Weird.

 (Ex): In order to cast spells a Lotus Disciple require to initiate her Lotus Dance. The Lotus Dance is special dance who combine movement of a graceful dance with spellcasting. such is the technique of the Lotus Disciple.

The Lotus Dance grant a bonus equal to the Dancer's Lotus Disciple class level to concentration check for the purpose of casting defensively, Since it an exotic casting method Wizard Slayer CA or similar have no effect on the Lotus Dance.

In addition the Lotus Dance grant a bonus to AC equal to the Dancer's Lotus Disciple class level. This bonus stack with the AC bonus granted by the class.

To initiate the Lotus Dance the Lotus Disciple must succeed a DC20 Perform (Dance) check. If she fail the perform check the Lotus Dance fail and the ability is used. She can Dance for 1 round x Charisma Modifier. After her dance she is fatigued. Initiating the Dance is a full round action. A Lotus Disciple cannot initiate her dance if she wear any armor or carry medium or heavy load.

 (Ex): At 2nd level the Lotus Dancer gain a Deflection bonus to her AC equal to her Charisma Modifier. The AC bonus is only applied if the Lotus Disciple wear no armor.

 (Su): At 3rd level Lotus Disciple may cast a spell without initiating the Lotus Dance, however the casting time become 10 minute/spell level. Spell with a casting time higher than a standard action cannot be casted this way.

these are latent power who can be unlocked in a person thank to use of the Lotus Dance.

 (Ex): The Lotus Dance can now be initiated as a standard action.

 (Ex): Lotus ritual time decrease to 5 min/spell level.

 (Su): The Lotus Dancer cease to take penalty from aging, she still die when her time come. This ability does not revert any penalty the Lotus Dancer already took.

 (Ex): At 7th level the Lotus Dancer is no longer fatigued after her dance.

 (Su): At 8th level the Lotus Dancer gain a bonus to her saving throws equal to her Charisma modifier, this bonus does not stack with similar effect.

 (Su): At this point the Perfection of the Lotus Dance raised to a whole new level. Once per dance she may cast a spell (Lotus Disciple's Spell only) as a Supernatural Ability.

The epic Lotus Disciple gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic Lotus Disciple feats) every 3 levels after 11th level.

Epic Lotus Disciple : List: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic Spellcasting, Familiar Spell, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Master Staff, Master Wand, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity.

Ex-Lotus Disciple
If a Lotus Disciple is no longer Lawful, or is no longer female they cannot advance in the class anymore and lose their spell casting. If the Lotus Disciple become Lawful (or Female) again they regain all spellcasting and the possibility to advance in the class.

Like a member of any other class, a Lotus Disciple may be a multiclass character, but multiclass lotus disciple face a special restriction. A lotus dancer who gains a level in any class after taking the PrC may never again raise her lotus dancer level, though she retains all her lotus disciple abilities.

Playing a Lotus Disciple
Combat: The Lotus Disciple belong to the last line, they are good beyond the warriors who protect her. Despite having good defensives abilities the Lotus Disciple is clearly not a warrior.

Advancement: A Lotus Disciple face several restriction in Multiclassing, however most of those who became Lotus dancer were mostly monks or bard (former bard). Some were fighter or even rarer paladin.

Resources: Many sect of Lotus Dancer may exist, however it was built with Foreign class in mind, so most organization may be far away. Maybe it the only spellcasting method of a distant land or the class was completely forgotten and wiped from the face of the world except for a small monastery hidden in the mountain.

Lotus Disciple in the World
"I thought she was only a Dancer then she threw that fireball at us! It was awful!"

NPC Reactions: Few people know the Lotus Disciple, many may think they are weak monk, some bards or simply dancer. Many believe they may be simple wizard or even cleric. Pople who know about the class may simply react similarly if she was a monk or a wizard, or perhaps a Wu Jen.

Lotus Disciple Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Religion) can research lotus dancer to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Lotus Disciple in the Game
Adaptation: Lotus Disciple are easy to adapt. They are better placed in a religious concept however, maybe in the service of some deity of beauty, grace and spirit. They may also be well in a concept of a government of spellcaster or in some monastic concept.