Proteus (3.5e Class)

Proteus
Masters of flexibility, versatility and adaptability, the proteus is a psion who has tappened into the collective unconcious of the world. From this endless subtle pool of knowledge, the proteus pulls all manner of skills and class abilities to their minds, backed up by psionic talent of their own to augment their ability to adapt to any situation.

Making a Proteus
The proteus is a skillmonkey, very similar to the factotumDungeonscape or bard. In combat, the proteus can adapt to any roll, master of none but capable in all respects. Very intelligent, a proteus always finds something he can help with.

Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for the proteus, controling both the DC of their psionics, number of power points gained, and skill points. Their other ability scores largely depend on their general focus... constitution being useful for all classes, dexterity to improve their armor class, reflex, and initative, and perhaps even strength if they want to employ more martial aspects. A high charisma helps with their social abilities, and wisdom buffs important sensory skills.

Races: Any race which appreciates high intelligence or versitility is capable of becoming a proteus, and for that reason humans dominate their ranks more than any.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d4&times;10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As wizard.

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A proteus is proficient with all simple weapons, plus a single martial weapon. They are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: Proteus. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high intelligence score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points). His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.

A proteus begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As he attains higher levels, a proteus may gain the ability to master more complex powers. To learn or manifest a power, a proteus must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level. Proteuses choose their powers from the psion/wilder list, with the following additions:

1st&mdash;Call Weaponry, Mindlink, Precognition

2nd&mdash;Brain Lock, Object Reading, Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions

3rd&mdash;Empathic Feedback, Fate Link, Hostile Empathic Transfer

4th&mdash;Psychic Vampire, Remote Viewing, Thieving Mindlink

5th&mdash;Metaconcert, Mind Probe, Psionic Revivify

6th&mdash;Dream Travel, Greater Precognition, Personal Mind Blank



To learn or manifest a power, a proteus must have an intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level.

At 1st level and every level he gains a new degree of powers known, the proteus gains a mutable power. Each day after resting to regain power points, the proteus may meditate for 15 minutes, connecting to the collective subconcious and drawing powers known from the minds of other psychics. The proteus gains an extra power known from any list, as long as they are capable of manifesting powers from that level (maximum 6th level). He may refresh and change his selection whenever he rests for 8 hours.

 (Su): The subtle connection to all sentient minds grants the proteus access to a vast respositoy of knowledge. A proteus may make a special subconcious lore check with a bonus equal to his proteus level + his intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the proteus has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)

A successful subconcious lore check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A proteus may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. It functions identically to a bard's bardic knowledge ability.

 (Su): A proteus gains a host of useful class features he draws from the minds of others, but can only learn so many at the same time. He has 1 slot for am class feature at 1st level and gains an additional slot every odd level. Class features are prepared with 15 minutes of meditation, and can be refreshed after 8 hours of rest (often done in tandem with gaining their mutable powers for the day). The least class features gained are selected from the following list.


 * Detect Evil (as paladin), Detect Magic (as warlockCArc), Evasion, Nature Sense, Trapfinding, Trap Sense (as a barbarian of your level), Uncanny Dodge, Wild Empathy (as druid of your level), Woodland Stride

 (Su): At 3rd level, a proteus can dip into the collective subconcious on the fly to improve his fighting abilities. As a free action, a proteus burns at least 1 power point, gaining a +1 insight bonus to attack, and their intelligence modifier to damage. This ability may be augmented, for every 3 power points you gain an additional +1 bonus to attack, to a maximum of your manifester level.

Alternatively you can use this power defensively, burning a power point as a free action to gain your intelligence modifier to armor class against a single attack. Both can transform the proteus into a competent fighter, but burns through power points at a rapid rate.

 (Su): At 5th level, a proteus can link his mind to others to assist them in subtle ways, taking care of subconcious processes and refining them. As an aid another, the proteus may grant an ally a +4 bonus on any skill in which the proteus has ranks, or a +2 bonus if they have no ranks in the skill.

 (Su): A proteus improves the selection of class features which he may draw upon at 8th level. The class feature list now has the following options.


 * Battle Fortitude (as scoutCAdv), Fast Movement (as barbarian), Grace (as swashbucklerCWar), Improved Uncanny Dodge, Lay on Hands (as paladin of your level), Poison Use (as assassin), Slow Fall (as monk of your level), Still Mind (as monk), Turn Undead (as cleric of your level)

 (Ex): At 9th level, a proteus may select any skill in which he has 10 or more ranks. The proteus gains skill mastery with this skill, allowing them to take 10 even in situations in which they are rushed or it is otherwise impossible to take 10. The proteus may select an additional skill to gain skill mastery every four levels after 9th.

 (Su): At 9th level, the subconcious link a proteus has with the world becomes more potent in close range, to the point of allowing active thought transmition and speach. The proteus gains telepathy out to 10 ft per +1 bonus to their intelligence modifier (minimum 10 ft).

 (Su): At 10th level, the proteus draw an entire class feature not granted by the class feature ability, and employ it as if they were a member of that class. At the start of each day, choose three extraordinary class abilities. Each ability must be available to a standard base character class of your proteus class level -5, and must appear on the advancement table or in the text discription of the class. Spellcasting can never be gained from this ability. By spending power points equal to your proteus class level as a free action, you gain the abilities and drawbacks of the chosen ability for 1 minute. You use the ability as your level in the relevent class equal to your proteum level -5. You can use each chosen class ability once per day.

For example, if you use a monk's unarmed strike ability, you gain all the benefits and drawbacks described under unarmed strike. You do not gain the ability of flurry of blows, because that is a separate ability in the monk's class description.

 (Ex): At 11th level, the proteus is so entrenched within the collective subconcious, that even if the proteus is slain, their mind can escape into the subconcious world. It makes restoring the body to life easier, as the mind is intact and waiting within the memories of her allies. So long as at least one creature in the world has a memory of the proteus, the proteus does not have any level loss when revived from the dead.

 (Su): A proteus improves the selection of class features which he may draw upon at 14th level. The class feature list now has the following options.


 * A Thousand Faces (as druid), Aura of Courage (as paladin), Death Attack (as assassin, but DC 10 + 1/2 HD + int), Diamond Body (as monk), Divine Grace (as paladin), Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Evasion, Mettle, Wholeness of Body (as monk of your level)

' (Ps):''' At 14th level, a proteus can breach into other minds through the collective subconcious. The proteus gains Read Thoughts as a psi-like ability at will.

 (Su): At 15th level, the bonuses granted by subconcious support improve. The proteus may grant an ally a +6 bonus on any skill in which the proteus has ranks, or a +4 bonus if they have no ranks in the skill. In addition, allies may grant the proteus a +4 bonus if they have ranks, as if they had the subconcious support class feature.

 (Ex): At 19th level, the proteus not only can defy death by living in the memories of others, he can spread the benefit to others. The proteus may assign up to one person per point of intelligence modifier, and those people gain the psimmortality class feature, specifically entering the psyche of the proteus upon death. So long as the proteus himself remains alive, they benefit from the psimmortality class feature.

In addition, when the proteus perishes but allies selected by him continue to live, and he is within 60 ft of an ally upon death, the proteus remains concious and active within their minds. He may continue to communicate through telepathy to his allies, a mental passenger, although he is otherwise utterly incapacitated from performing any activities beyond communication.

 (Ex): Becoming a master of the subtle psionic knowledge, the proteus gains several benefits. The Combat Memory ability now no longer consumes any power points for its use (you are still limited by your manifester level on how it is augmented, it simply does not spent the points). The proteus may also swap out the abilities of both the class mnemonic (least, lesser, or greater) and mutable powers at any time, with 15 minutes of meditation. Finally the proteus becomes an outsider (native), who is both native to the material plane, the astral plane, and (if used) the plane of dreams. Their outsider nature grants them damage reduction 10/magic.

Epic Proteus
Skill Mastery: The proteus continues to gain skill mastery with new skills which have 10 or more ranks, at 21st level and every 4 levels afterward.



Epic Proteus Bonus Feat List: All epic bonus feats.

Human Proteus Starting Package
Weapons: Flail.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Feat: Skill Focus Diplomacy.

Bonus Feats: Psionic Body.

Gear: Chain Shirt, Backpack, Grappling Hook, Silk Rope 50 ft.

Gold: 5 gp.

Playing a Proteus
Religion: Proteus have little direct interest in religion, with their psionics providing what others require divine grace to perform. That said, those which take on a religious bend often worship gods of knowledge and learning.

Other Classes: The know it all, the proteus can appreciate the bard, the psion, and the wizard for their intellect and skillful natures. The rogue, too, is respected even though many of their skills go towards more stealthy aspects rather than intellectual. Low skill point classes such as the fighter often are seen as useful, but mentally dull, and brutish barbarians and druids stereotype this belief.

Combat: The proteus can perform any roll, and is not locked within a single task. Some foresight and planning is required to make best use of this however, so effective tactical work is key, regardless if the proteus is playing the role of fighter, glass cannon, caster, or something entirely different.

Advancement: Skillful prestige classes such as the ExemplarCAdv are always good for a proteus, though possessing an actual casting advancement also opens up the possibilities of psionic classes.

Proteuses in the World
"Remember me?"

Daily Life: The proteus seeks knowledge through his subtle connection to the minds around them, and much time is spent in meditation, learning new data in the quasi-sleep of a trance. When alert, the proteus is eager and happy to share their knowledge with others, and often finds uses for bits of trivia recently picked up.

Notables: The proteus only known as "Johnny" is an underground information dealer. It is said he knows some very, very dangerous and forbidden secrets, and for that reason he's difficult to find. It's said he only even exists now as memory, returning to life only to have others recall his presence.

Organizations: The proteus have a subtle network of knowledge, each proteus dimly aware of the presence of others, though no specifics are given until they actually meat. If society mindsHyperconcious are present in your game, then the proteus often intermingle in their ranks.

NPC Reactions: Proteus are often socially apt, having access to such skills, and most come off as well meaning intelligent experts at many things. Common folk see them as talented individuals with a knack for the occational odd power.

Proteus Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Local can research proteus to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Proteuses in the Game
Adaptation: The collective subconcious can be a more concious thing, a subtle psionic god-like being formed from all minds. This gives the class a more divine bent, and may introduce the idea of loyalty to certain mindsets like the ardent.

Sample Encounter: The key to solving how to put down the demon lord for good lies in the mind of a single illusive proteus named Johnny. You must not only find him, when he may be but a passing memory within a friend, but convince him to help you, avoiding assassins who would like to quench the last memories of Johnny for good.