Usumancer (3.5e Prestige Class)

Usumancer
"All was deathly still, as a piece of paper with a single symbol written upon it fluttered slowly to the ground. The Gnomes who were chasing Mu crumbled to the ground, shattering into piles of dust, which blew away on an easterly wind."

Usumancers are masters of wielding skills who have chosen to dabble in magical arts that those skills have opened up.

Becoming an Usumancer
Characters pursue the art of Usumancy because they have incredibly good skill checks, and wish to have something tangible to do with them.

{| class="zebra d20" Hit Die: d6 ! rowspan="2" | Level ! rowspan="2" | Base Attack Bonus ! colspan="3" | Saving Throws ! rowspan="2" | Special ! Fort || Ref || Will Class Skills (As existing class) As existing class.
 * 1st || +0 || +0 || +2 || +2
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 2nd || +1 || +0 || +3 || +3
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 3rd || +2 || +1 || +3 || +3
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 4th || +3 || +1 || +4 || +4
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 5th || +3 || +1 || +4 || +4
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 6th || +4 || +2 || +5 || +5
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 7th || +5 || +2 || +5 || +5
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 8th || +6/+1 || +2 || +6 || +6
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 9th || +6/+1 || +3 || +6 || +6
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * - class="noalt"
 * colspan="42" class="skill" |
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 8th || +6/+1 || +2 || +6 || +6
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * 9th || +6/+1 || +3 || +6 || +6
 * class="left" | Spell School
 * - class="noalt"
 * colspan="42" class="skill" |
 * - class="noalt"
 * colspan="42" class="skill" |

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Usumancer.

The spell schools and their tricks are as follows:


 * : Requires Decipher Script, Forgery, and Speak Language. Casting any Calligraphy spell requires a brush, colored fluid of some sort, and paper.


 * ' (Sp):' As a 1-round action, the Usumancer writes a symbol of death describing some target(s) within 60 feet. This is a DC 30 Forgery check, with a +10 to the DC for every additional target beyond the first. Each target who has less than 5 health per character level the Usumancer possesses must make a Will save (DC 10 + his Wisdom modifier + one-tenth his Decipher Script check) or die. Creatures immune to death effects are immune to Sign of Death''.


 * ' (Sp):''' As a 1-round action, the Usumancer covers two sides of a sheet of paper in ink. He then makes a DC 20 Speak Language check and chooses a language. Anything he speaks will appear in writing on one side of the sheet, translated into that language. If he beat the Speak Language check by 10 or more, he may choose another language. Anything anyone speaks in the first language within the Usumancer's hearing will appear in writing on the other side of the sheet in the second language. This sheet of paper lasts until it is completely filled (usually about 500 words) or after a number of minutes have passed equal to the Usumancer's Forgery check.


 * ' (Sp):''' As a 1-round action, the Usumancer asks a question of the nearby ghosts, and allows them to use his hand to write the answer. A nearby ghost comes and will attempt to answer this question in a number of words equal to one-tenth the Usumancer's Forgery check, rounded down. Simply because they are a ghost does not mean they are truthful or actually know the answer.


 * : Requires Perform (Dance), Tumble, and Balance. Casting any Dancing spell requires the ability to move around freely. Unlike other spell schools, Dancing spells are subject to Arcane Spell Failure.


 * ' (Sp):''' As a 1-round action, the Usumancer dances from one place to the next. A target within Close range of him must make a Will save (DC 10 + his Charisma modifier + one-tenth his Perform (Dance) check) or become dazed until the end of its next turn. If the target is dazed, the Usumancer may teleport to any location within a number of feet of the target equal to twice his Tumble check that the target has line of sight to.


 * ' (Sp):''' As an immediate action, the Usumancer can attempt to dodge an attack by opposing the attack roll with a Tumble check. If he meets or beats the attack roll, the attack misses. Whether or not the attack misses, he must also make a Balance check with a DC of the attack roll or fall prone.


 * ' (Sp):''' As a full-round action, the Usumancer can make all non-mindless creatures within a number of feet equal to his Tumble check become fascinated until the beginning of his next turn. Any creature may make a Will save (DC 10 + his Charisma modifier + one-tenth his Perform (Dance) check) to resist this effect.


 * : Requires Craft (Alchemy), Profession (Chef), and Knowledge (Arcana). Casting any Brewing spell requires access to ingredients and a kitchen. The kitchen can be skipped at the price of a -20 penalty to all skill checks involved in the spell.


 * ' (Sp):''' With 1 hour of brewing strange fluids, the Usumancer can create a potion by expending the appropriate amount of experience and material wealth. The potion is successfully crafted if he makes a Craft (Alchemy) check with a DC equal to 10 + 10 times the spell level of the spell the potion replicates.


 * ' (Sp):''' With 15 minutes of preparing ingredients, the Usumancer can make a meal for one person with top-notch restorative qualities. Anyone who eats this meal heals damage (including ability damage and other such things) as though they had had a full night's rest. Nobody can benefit from such a meal more than once per day. The Profession (Chef) DC to make this meal is 20 for the first person each day, and increases by 10 for every previous meal created in this way that day.


 * : Requires Spellcraft, Knowledge (The Planes), and TruespeakTome of Magic. Casting any Summoning spell requires a circle drawn in the ground with metal, chalk, salt, or blood. Creatures to be summoned or manipulated can only be summoned into the circle, or manipulated while within the circle.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can mimic a Summon Monster spell. The DC of the Truespeak check is equal to ten times the spell level of Summon Monster'' spell he wishes to replicate. The DC of this check increases by 10 for every time the Usumancer has used this ability since he last got a full night's rest.


 * ' (Sp):''' The Usumancer attempts to bind an Extraplanar creature to himself as a full-round action. He must first succeed on a Truespeak check with a DC equal to three times the creature's Hit Dice. The creature must then make a Will save (DC 10 + his Charisma modifier + one-tenth his Knowledge (The Planes) check) or be forced to obey the Usumancer's commands for a number of hours equal to the Usumancer's Spellcraft check. The creature only has to obey the last command given by the Usumancer. He cannot have more than one creature bound at a time in this way, and any creature bound in this way cannot be bound again for 30 days afterwards.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can attempt to summon a specific creature not native to his current plane. This requires some body part of the creature (such as hair, fingernails, blood, finger, etc.), 15-minutes of ritual chanting, and a successful Truespeak check with a DC equal to three times the creature's Hit Dice, plus its highest ability score. It can recognize you as the caster and ascertain your location with a successful opposed Spellcraft check, to which you get a -20 penalty. If the creature is unwilling, it may make a Will save (DC 10 + his Charisma modifier + one-tenth his Knowledge (The Planes) check) to resist this effect. Whenever he uses this ability, the DC for each successive Truespeak check to cast Summon Individual'' doubles, and the penalty to your Spellcraft check increases by 10 for the rest of the day.


 * : Requires Jump, Perform (Oratory), and Sleight of Hand. Casting any Overdramatic Swordsmanship spell requires a sword.


 * ' (Sp):''' The Usumancer jumps up and swings his sword, making a wave of energy spring forth from it. This is a full-round action. The wave of energy hits everything in a line that is twice as long as his Jump check. Any target hit by this line takes 1d6 points of fire or electrical damage per character level of the Usumancer, with a Reflex save (DC 10 + his Wisdom modifier + one-tenth his Sleight of Hand check) for half damage.


 * ' (Sp):''' The Usumancer swings his sword around very fast as a standard action. Everyone within a number of feet of him equal to one-third his Jump check takes 1d6 points of slashing damage per character level of the Usumancer, with a Reflex save (DC 10 + his Wisdom modifier + one-tenth his Sleight of Hand check) for half damage.


 * ' (Sp):''' The Usumancer moves in a straight line up to a target and slashes upwards across them. This is a full-round action, and the Usumancer may move a distance in feet equal to his Jump check. He makes a normal attack against the target with his sword, which deals an extra quantity of damage equal to his Perform (Oratory) check if it hits, minus 10 points of damage for every time he has already used this ability since he last got a full night's rest.


 * : Requires Craft (Bone), Knowledge (Religion), and Concentration. Casting any Necromancy spell requires a corpse to cast it on.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can replicate the animate dead'' spell with a DC 30 Knowledge (Religion) check. Every time he attempts this ability, the DC for it increases by 10 for the rest of the day.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can turn a corpse into a Mummy with one hour of embalming and a Craft (Bone) check with a DC equal to 5 times the desired number of Hit Dice for the Mummy. If the Usumancer succeeds on a Knowledge (Religion) check with the same DC, he controls it (it counts towards his animate dead'' limit) too. If he fails the Craft (Bone) check, the corpse is rendered unusable for any practical purpose.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can make a corpse within a number of feet equal to his Concentration check explode, splattering everything in a 15-foot radius with bits of flesh. The affected creatures take 1d6 points of damage per character level of the Usumancer, with a Reflex save (DC 10 + his Charisma modifier + one-tenth his Knowledge (Religion) check) for half damage. Corpse Explosion'' is a standard action.


 * : Requires Survival, Handle Animal, and Listen. Casting any Hunting spell requires a pet Animal.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can mimic a Summon Nature's Ally spell. The DC of the Handle Animal check is equal to ten times the spell level of Summon Nature's Ally'' spell he wishes to replicate. The DC of this check increases by 10 for every time the Usumancer has used this ability since he last got a full night's rest.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can mimic a locate creature'' spell. The DC of the Survival check is 30, plus an additional 10 for every time he's attempted it already this day.


 * : Requires Bluff, Disguise, and Profession (Sailor).


 * ' (Sp):''' The Usumancer can transform himself with 15 minutes of costuming. It only succeeds if he makes a Disguise check with a DC of 10 + the combined Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form + three times the minimum CR of a creature who possesses that form. The "disguise" lasts for a number of minutes equal to his Disguise check.


 * ' (Sp):' The Usumancer can create illusions of terrain as per the spell hallucinatory terrain'', although disbelieving the illusion is a Sense Motive check opposed by the Usumancer's Bluff check, not a Will save. This spell's caster level is equal to one-third of your Profession (Sailor) check. You can only have one such illusion active at a time.


 * ' (Sp):''' The Usumancer can become, for all intents and purposes, dead, for a limited time, as an immediate action. He rolls a Bluff check, and becomes dead for at least 50 hours minus a number of hours equal to his Bluff check. He cannot remain dead for longer than a number of days equal to his Disguise check. When he comes back to life, his temporary death turns out to not have had any adverse effects on him, although things done to him while he was dead are still relevant. He remains aware of his surroundings while dead after the minimum amount of time has passed, although he may have to sleep.