View source for King of Card Games Akhenaten (3.5e Vestige)

==King of Card Games Akhenaten==

[[Summary::A legendary pharaoh of ancient times who bound monsters into cards, he found himself entrapped in the process of sealing the most vicious of fiends, yet his image can be summon and bound by one who knows the right means.]]

'''Level:''' [[Level::1st]]

'''Binding DC:''' [[Binding DC::18]]

'''Special Requirement:''' Yes

===Legend===

In an ancient time within a desert kingdom, there once was a plague of monsters and beasts over the land.  The great pharaoh was learned in the arts of magic and devised a way to seal these monsters away into flat stone tablets that were used for a local game he was fond of playing.  Then, in turn, they found use turning the sealed monsters against their kin.  So was it that a great war occurred to purify the world of these monsters. and to that end they were successful.  Yet victory was not without heavy cost, as during their final foray to defeat the Forbidden One, source of all monsters, he found he could only seal it away by also sealing himself.  And thus he was trapped forever, guarding the world against the terrible beast.  Yet those who know his mystic arts can yet call upon his shade and thus his great knowledge of the power of the monster tablets or, as some say, cards.

===Special summoning===

A golden trinket worth 50 gp is required as a focus, often an amulet, eyepiece, or even held items such as rods.

===Manifestation===

The air darkens and a glowing gridwork flooring appears before you, and on the far end upon a platform rises someone who looks just like you but taller, cooler, with a more commanding deeper voice, and filled with smoldering intensity.  Agree to his challenge, a "game" which lasts but for an instant to outside observer, and the pact is sealed good or bad as you win or lose his challenge.

===Sign===

You seem to be a taller and more commanding version of yourself, with a deeper voice.

If you made a good pact and are suppressing your sign, you may switch to showing your sign as a free action any time you are in a stressful situation.  It returns to being suppressed at the end of the encounter.

===Influence===

You are endlessly competitive, and have a habit of raising the stakes in any sort of challenge to unreasonable levels.  You desire to answer every challenge or goad you face, though "raising the stakes" to the point where it is no longer viable to continue is a victory in and of itself.

===Granted Abilities===

====Challenge====

The binder benefits from the [[Goad (3.5e Feat)|Goad]] feat.  You must be showing your sign in order to use this.

====Enter the Shadowzone====

The binder can briefly bind those they defeat into the "shadowzone", a unknown demiplane outside of time and space and said to be an endless dark void.  Any creature they or their summons defeat in battle may be shunted away instead of being killed as if subject to ''[[SRD:Time Hop|time hop]]''.  These creatures remain out of time until the bind ends, or 24 hours, at which they return to where they were or the nearest safe and unoccupied area at a minimum of 1 hp or 1 in any ability scores.  The creature has little idea how much time has passed, only knowing they were floating in the void for an unknown time, unable to act.

The binder may also choose to shadowzone any creature successfully goaded, regardless if they make the finishing blow.  You must be showing your sign in order to use this.

====King of Games====

The binder is good at games of all sorts, not merely card games.  They get a +6 bonus on any opposed skill checks on "games" or other similar challenges, and once per game may call a mulligan, delaying the effects of any would-be loss for 1 round by quoting some obscure and totally-not-made-up excuse.  If they manage to win next round, their loss is ignored.

====Summon Card Monster====

The binder can summon monsters at a whim, calling any creature of CR equal to their binder level -2 as a standard action within Close range (25 ft + 5 ft/2 HD).  While you can summon at will, you are limited to 3 + 1/2 your binder level different types of monsters.  Summons retain their hit points they had when unsummoned, and if killed or dismissed they gain [[Rapid Healing (3.5e Creature Ability)|rapid healing]] equal to your [[Charisma]] modifier until they return above 0 hp. At 1st and 2nd level, they can summon up to CR 1/2 creatures.  They can only control one creature at a time, and unlike ''[[SRD:Summon Monster I|summon monster]]'' spells, they must spend actions to command their monster, but have the following options, which are announced upon summoning.

''Attack Position:'' The summoned monster is commanded as a move action, allowing the binder to still act with their standard action.  When the monster is defeated, any excess damage over its maximum hp is transferred to the binder.

''Defense Position:'' The summoned monster is commanded as a standard action.  When the monster is defeated, any excess damage over its maximum hp is not transferred to the binder.

Switching between attack and defense position is a swift action.  You cannot summon any unique creatures (including dragons without a statblock), or creatures with templates.  If the summoned monster is within 30 ft of the binder, they may split damage as if under ''[[SRD:Shield Other|shield other]]''.

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{{3.5e Vestiges Breadcrumb}}
[[Category:Vestige]]
[[Category:3.5e]]
[[Category:User]]
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Author	Eiji-kun +
Binding DC	18 +
Identifier	3.5e Vestige +
Level	1st +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Summary	A legendary pharaoh of ancient times who bound monsters into cards, he found himself entrapped in the process of sealing the most vicious of fiends, yet his image can be summon and bound by one who knows the right means. +
Title	King of Card Games Akhenaten +