Spirit Artist (3.5e Prestige Class)

= Spirit Artist =

''The images just seem to come at me. I am not really in control when I paint like this, my arm moves and paint flies, I am but an observer. I surprise myself with my works sometimes...''

Prerequisites
Feats: Craft Wonderous Item

Skills: Appraise 4 ranks, Craft (painting, drawing, or similar) 9 ranks, Profession (artist) 4 ranks, Spot 9 ranks

Spells: 1st level divine spells.

Special: Must have made and sold a work of art to somebody.

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Spirit Artist:

'''Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Spirit Artists gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

'''Spells per Day

When a new Spirit Artist level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever divine 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. This essentially means that she adds the level of Spirit Artist to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a Spirit Artist, she must decide to which class she adds each level of Spirit Artist for the purpose of determining spells per day.

'''Alignment

Some of the class features of a Spirit Artist depend on the alignment of the artist. If they art good, they take the good features noted before. If they are evil they take the evil class features. If they are neutral they must choose good or evil. This decision may not be changed afterward. If they have levels in cleric and are neutral, whatever they chose for their turn or rebuke decision carries over here.

'''Quick Art

The Spirit Artist has learned to draw up new images with incredible speed. Most of the powers of the Spirit Artist can be used in combat due to this. So long as there is a surface to draw upon, one can create an image in 1 round, with the effects of the image coming into play immediately on completion.

A Quick Art image is done in haste and its magic effects will only last a short time, dependent on what ability you are using. Since the image is done in haste, it has no inherent selling value.

You may use the Quick Art ability up to your class levels per day.

'''Muse

The Spirit Artist gains the assistance of a muse. It is similar to a familiar, but is not terribly useful beyond art. When within 5' of the muse you can add your class level as an luck bonus to your skill checks on Craft (artistic skill in question).

The muse has half your hp and otherwise has no stats of its own, using your saving throws. It has no attack capability. Your muse can look like practically anything Small size or smaller. It speaks, although only you understand its language, and is merely a gift from your deity.

If your muse is ever slain, you take -5 to your artistic Craft skill until it is returned. You can regain a new muse after 1 week, or with spells which revive the dead.

'''Consecrating Image/Desecrating Image

Using Quick Art, one can form an image based on your alignment. Good spirit artists form a consecrating image, which mimics the spell Consecrate, including having the image count as an 'alter'. Likewise evil spirit artists use Desecrate. Either form lasts as long as the normal spell does.

You can attempt to make a permanent Consecrate/Desecrate by making a portrait normally with the Craft check, and then another check to make it magical, DC 22.

Minor Creation :  As the spell Minor Creation. You can employ it through Quick Art, using up one of your Quick Arts per day. You draw an image of the object in the air and it manifests.

Image of Morale/Banner of Dread :  With Quick Art, you can create an image which inspires or terrifies. As a Good spirit artist you invoke the Image of Morale, a banner which flaps proudly through the air with your artwork. All allies who can see the image in a 60' radius gain a morale bonus of +1 per 1/2 class level to your attack rolls and saving throws.

Evil spirit artists invoke the Banner of Dread, dealing the opposite. All enemies in a 60' radius take a -1 per 1/2 class level penalty to attack rolls and saving throws. Enemies are allowed a Will save, DC (10 + 1/2 class level + Cha modifier).

Either form lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level before the image goes inert.

Major Creation :  As the spell Major Creation. You can employ it through Quick Art, using up one of your Quick Arts per day. You draw an image of the object in the air and it manifests.

Spirit Paint :  At 5th level you gain the power to channel positive or negative energy through your magic paint. As a Close range touch attack, you can heal (or harm) 1d4 damage for every Quick Art use you expend. You can release all 5d4 at once or deal 5 attacks of 1d4, however one sees fit.

At 10th level the attack becomes 1d6 instead of 1d4, and it becomes Medium range.

Unlike most drawing attempts, Spirit Paint is a swift action.

Air Drawing :  At level 5, a spirit artist no longer needs a surface medium to draw on, he can draw in mid air using glowing trails of light.

Craft Everimage :  When creating an image of a room or landscape, you can enchant it and the room into a state of timelessness. Placed somewhere in the room that it represents, the painting will keep the room as it is in the image. If a table is destroyed, it is reformed and repaired within 1 minute. If a flowerpot is added to the scene, the magic will spirit the pot away until it is 'out of the picture' as it is in the painted image. In fact all the non-living items within the room are stuck firmly in their positions and will not move, only break and be repaired, so long as the painting remains intact. Destroying the painting ends the protection upon the room.

An antimagic field can temporarily suppress the efforts of the room to return to it's 'normal' state. Dispel cannot work, but a Disjunction will destroy the painting if it is in range. The room also loses its powers if the painting is ever removed from it, but will return once the painting is restored.

To create the Everimage you will make a portrait normally with the Craft check, and then another check to make it magical, DC 28.

Portrait of Aid/Portrait of Pain :  Good spirit artists chose a target to make a portrait of using Quick Art. From then on you can employ any harmless touch spells cast through the portrait onto that target as if you had touched them. This works out to a 30' range.

Evil spirit artists do the same, but with harmful spells, and cannot use harmless spells. With either version you can transfer up to 1 spell every 2 class levels through the portrait before it is destroyed.

Craft Dimension Portrait :  You can craft linked images which act as portals when walked into, an effect not physically visible. In addition at time of creation you can restrict use of the portal such as only allowing yourself to pass through, or those with your alignment, or a set group of people.

Passing through it deposits you at the other linked picture. If either image is destroyed the other becomes just a normal image. The portals are powerful in their utility but can be destroyed just as easily as any portrait can, unless you have crafted it out of unusual materials.

To create the Dimension Portrait you will make a portrait normally with the Craft check, and then another check to make it magical, DC 29. A rogue can detect it as if it were a magic trap with a DC of 29.

Normally it cannot travel across planes. However with a third DC 39 Craft check when finishing the image, you can have it cross planes instead of crossing to the next linked picture.

Image of Heaven/Image of Hell :  Using Quick Art to craft an image, you form a painting which releases positive or negative energy out on the viewer. Those who make visual contact with the image are either healed or harmed for 4d8 points of damage, Will negates (DC 14 + Cha modifier). Treat as a gaze attack. You may assign people who are immune to the effects of the image, so you do not accidentally heal your enemies or harm your friends.

The image lasts for 1 round every 2 class levels.

Imprisoning Image :  The spirit artist can mimic the effects of an Imprisonment spell 1/day, using a blank canvas as a focus. If the spell succeeds they are imprisoned and their image appears within the painting. In order to recover them a Freedom spell must be cast upon the painting instead of at the point where they were imprisoned. The save DC is (14 + Cha modifier).

Secrets of the Portrait: The muse finally gives mystical secrets which vary greatly on alignment. Either way ends up altering their life.

Good spirit artists can now make a portrait of themselves, crafted normally, and with a DC 30 skill check, make it magical so that it acts as a Clone spell. The "body" cannot rot. In addition the spirit artist becomes timeless and no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the spirit artist still dies of old age when her time is up. Finally, the spirit artist's lifespan is increased by 50%.

Evil spirit artists however, discover a sort of lichdom in their works. By making a portrait of themselves, crafted normally, and with a DC 40 skill check, they can create a 'Gray Portrait'. With a ritual of unspeakable evil (DM's call), they bind their body to the image. From this point the spirit artist is immortal and timeless. They no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue. If slain, they will reappear in 1d10 days within 30' of their portrait.

While they remain unharmed by age, their image self continues to decay. If the spirit artist ever makes eye contact with their image again, they will age to the age of their true self immediately, unto death (and their portrait gets younger to the point of when the ritual was made). If the portrait is destroyed, the spirit artist's ability to reappear is also disrupted. Like a lich's phylactery, it cannot have been previously enchanted, and unless the building materials are very strong, it is as durable as any old painting.

The spirit artist who has a Gray Portrait is not undead and gains no particular immunities or powers beyond immortality.

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Epic Spirit Artist.

Speedy Brush : At 30th level a Spirit Artist gets faster with his work, making art in a standard action. In addition, the Spirit Paint attack is now an immediate action.

Bonus Feats: The epic spirit artist gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic cleric bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.

Epic Spirit Artist Bonus Feat List
Automatic Silent Spell, Bonus Domain, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Extended Life Span, Fast Healing, Great Charisma, Great Wisdom, Ignore Material Components, Improved Alignment-Based Casting, Improved Spell Capacity, Perfect Health, Spontaneous Domain Access, Spontaneous Spell, and Tenacious Magic.