AE2.8: Jongleur

[sirpercival]

Jongleur

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"O for the gentleness of old Romance, the simple planning of a minstrel's song!"
– John Keats

A Jongleur is an adventuring musician, who masters the use of many instruments in order to create complex pieces by playing all of them at once.

Adventures: Jongleurs adventure because... well, it's what they do. A jongleur travels the world, looking for new vistas to explore, and new ears to fill with the glory of music. They are wanderlust incarnate.

Characteristics: As is required by the adventuring life, a Jongleur is a jack of all trades, able to adapt to a variety of situations through the judicious use of his soulmelds. He is primarily a skillful character, but with a few offensive (and several defensive) tricks to support him in combat.

Alignment: Any alignment can lead to the varied paths of the Jongleur. A lawful character would have the dedication and focus required to learn and play a dozen different instruments at the same time, while a chaotic character would enjoy the freedom and self-reliance one finds on the road.

Religion: Jongleurs pay the most obeisance to gods of music and revelry, but they also worship gods of travel and the road nearly as often.

Background: Those who become Jongleurs often come from poor, hardworking families. A Jongleur must have musical talent, which is often discovered by a traveling minstrel who takes the fledgling Jongleur under his wing as an apprentice. During his journey, the young troubadour discovers the primal music of the soul, and the rest is history.

Races: Jongleurs can come from charismatic races like aasimar, hardy races like gnomes, or quick races like halflings.

Other Classes: As a skillful and supportive character, a Jongleur fits in well with almost any other class, but (thanks to his Soul Music feature) especially other incarnum classes.

Role: A Jongleur is a skillful support character, useful in a large variety of situations thanks to his wide array of soulmelds.

Adaptation: How a DM might change your class to fit into their campaign or unique world setting.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Jongleurs have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma > Dexterity/Strength = Constitution > Intelligence = Wisdom.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As bard.

Class Skills
The Jongleur's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Jongleur

	Base Attack	Fort	Reflex	Will			Essentia	Chakra
Level	Bonus	Save	Save	Save	Special	Soulmelds	Pool	Binds
1	+0	+0	+2	+2	Personal Orchestra, Soul Music (song of potency)	2	1	0
2	+1	+0	+3	+3	Chakra bind (least), Combat Troubador	3	2	1
3	+2	+1	+3	+3	Armored Rig	3	3	1
4	+3	+1	+4	+4	Chakra bind (least), Harmony and Melody	4	3	1
5	+3	+1	+4	+4	Improved Combat Troubador	4	4	1
6	+4	+2	+5	+5	Chakra bind (least)	4	5	2
7	+5	+2	+5	+5	Soul music (song of impetus)	5	6	2
8	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Chakra bind (lesser), Tempo Fugit	5	6	2
9	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Animate Performance	5	7	2
10	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Chakra bind (lesser), Harmony and Ecstasy	6	8	3
11	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Improved Armored Rig	6	9	3
12	+9/4	+4	+8	+8	Chakra bind (lesser)	6	10	3
13	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Soul music (song of capacity)	7	11	3
14	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Chakra bind (greater)	7	12	4
15	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Greater Combat Troubador	7	14	4
16	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Chakra bind (greater), Harmony and Agony	8	15	4
17	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Improved Tempo Fugit	8	17	4
18	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Chakra bind (heart), Incarnate Performance	8	19	5
19	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Greater Armored Rig, Soul Music (song of epiphany)	9	21	5
20	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Chakra bind (soul), Polka Will Never Die	9	23	5

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

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Jongleur is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as any weapons granted by her soulmelds.  Additionally, the Jongleur is proficient with medium and light armor.

Meldshaping: A jongleur's primary ability is shaping the soul of music into incarnum soulmelds, which are drawn from the jongleur soulmeld list (see below). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list, and the DC for a saving throw against one of your soulmelds is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Charisma modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your Jongleur level.

You can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on the table above. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds allowed for your level, whichever is lower. At 1st level, you can shape two soulmelds at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 12). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.

At 1st level, you also gain access to your personal pool of essentia, representing the primal music which flows inside you, which can be invested into your soulmelds to increase their power. The size of your essentia pool is given on the table above. Your character level, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld, (as shown in Magic of Incarnum, Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity). Each round as a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds (see Essentia, MoI page 50).

A Jongleur does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night's rest and listen to music for 1 hour to shape her soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, MoI page 49).

Chakra Binds: Beginning at 2nd level, you can bind your soulmelds to your chakras, granting you new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra (see Chakras, MoI page 50), so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra.

The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level (see the Chakra Binds column on the table above). Beginning at 2nd level, and every even level afterwards, select one chakra to which to gain access.  You can bind soulmelds to any chakras you have accessible.  At 2nd, 4th, and 6th level, choose a least chakra (crown, feet, hands); at 8th, 10th, and 12th level, choose a lesser chakra (arms, brow, shoulders); at 14th and 16th level, choose a greater chakra (throat or waist); and at 18th and 20th level, you gain access to the Heart and Soul chakras, respectively.

Personal Orchestra (Ex): As a jongleur, you have learned to shape the primal music of the soul into melds which aid you in your adventures. Your soulmelds all take the form of instruments, and you can use them as appropriate. You may use an appropriate soulmeld as a masterwork instrument for any Perform skill, and the competence bonus granted by the instrument increases by +2 for each essentia invested in the soulmeld.

Soul Music (Su): Once per day per Jongleur level, you can use the music resonating in your soul to produce magical effects on those around you (usually including yourself, if desired). These abilities fall under the category of Soul Music, and are dependent on any of chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken or sung performance.

Starting a Soul Music effect is a standard action. While using Soul Music, you cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf Jongleur has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use Soul Music; if she fails, the attempt still counts against her daily limit.

Soul Music counts as Bardic Music for the purposes of meeting prerequisites, and uses of Soul Music may be spent in place of Bardic Music uses to activate abilities (other than Bardic Music abilities themselves).

• Song of Potency: At 1st level, you can sing the Song of Potency, using your Soul Music to increase the meldshaper level or save DC of soulmelds shape by your allies. Any ally within 30 feet who can hear you play receives 1 Tone Point, +1 for every 6 additional Jongleur levels you have, which last as long as they can hear you play and for 5 rounds after. Allies can allocate Tone Points as they see fit when first gaining the benefit of this ability; each Tone Point increases the meldshaper level of one of their shaped soulmelds by +2, or the save DC of one of their shaped soulmelds by +1, for as long as the ally gains the benefit of this ability.
• Song of Impetus: Beginning at 7th level, you learn the Song of Impetus, which allows you to use your Soul Music to amplify the soul essence of your allies.  Any ally within 30 feet who can hear you play receives 1 temporary essentia per 6 Jongleur levels you have, which lasts as long as the ally can hear you play and for 5 rounds after. An affected ally can allocate these temporary essentia as a free action when it receives them.
• Song of Capacity: Starting at 13th level, you can sing the Song of Capacity, a use of Soul Music which broadens the minds and essences of your allies. Each ally within 30 feet of you who can hear you play chooses 1 soulmeld that they currently have shaped. The essentia capacity of that soulmeld increases by 1 for as long as the ally can hear you play, and for 5 rounds after.
• Song of Epiphany: At 19th level, you learn the Song of Epiphany, which allows you to use your Soul Music to transfer knowledge of your instruments to your allies. When you activate this ability, choose one soulmeld you currently have shaped; every ally within 30 feet of you who can hear you play gains the benefit of having that soulmeld shaped (and can invest essentia in it, if they have any, as a free action when you activate the ability). This effect lasts for as long as the ally can hear you play, and for 5 rounds after. When the effect ends, any essentia your allies had invested in the soulmeld returns to their respective essentia pools.

Combat Troubador (Ex): Like Orpheus for Eurydice, you have discovered at 2nd level that you are willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond for your goals. Trivialities such as damage and combat cannot stand in your way. Once per day per 2 Jongleur levels, as a full-round action you can grant yourself temporary hit points equal to your highest ranks in any Perform skill.

Armored Rig (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the instruments (i.e., soulmelds) that you hang all over your body grant you a semblance of protection from attacks. You gain an armor bonus equal to the number of soulmelds you have shaped at any given time, with an enhancement bonus equal to the highest amount of essentia you have invested in any soulmeld. The armor bonus granted by this class feature does not stack with the armor bonus granted by any other source.

Harmony and Melody (Su): The primal music of the soul flows through you, and reaches a new height at 4th level. Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature and choose a number of skills equal to the invested essentia; you may not select the same skill more than once, and you must have at least 1 rank in each chosen skill.  The next time you make a skill check with one of the chosen skills, you may substitute a Perform check for the normal skill roll if you choose; if you do so, return 1 essentia invested in this feat to your pool. Once essentia is invested in this ability, it remains invested until you activate this ability for one of the chosen skills, at which point the essentia returns to your essentia pool and that particular skill can no longer gain the benefit of this ability (until you shape your soulmelds again).

Improved Combat Troubador (Ex): When you achieve 5th level, your training for battle has made you considerably more versatile. When you gain this ability, choose Strength or Dexterity; you may use your Charisma modifier in place of the chosen ability modifier when making melee or ranged attacks, respectively, if doing so would be beneficial to you.

Tempo Fugit (Ex): By 8th level, you have learned to match your internal rhythms with the natural flow of combat. You may use your Charisma modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier when calculating your bonus to initiative checks, if doing so would be beneficial to you.

Animate Performance (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you can temporarily create a creature of pure music to assist you. When you activate your Soul Music ability, you may increase the activation time to a full-round action, choose a soulmeld you have shaped, and make a Perform check (for the relevant instrument) as part of the same action. If you do so, you call into being a shadowy duplicate of yourself, which performs the music.

The duplicate appears in a square adjacent to you, and combines the effects of the unseen servant and major image spells. Once it appears, the duplicate can move just as you would, on your initiative, without you needing to spend an action. It has hit points equal to the result of your Perform check, ignores terrain effects, and moves like an unseen servant, making no noise in the process, though it makes normal motions while traveling. If you have a fly speed, the image appears to fly when not in contact with the ground; otherwise, it walks on open air.

Your animate performance looks like you, though it is clearly not real. It has no equipment, but gains the benefit of the chosen soulmeld; you lose the benefit of the soulmeld as long as the duplicate is in existence. The duplicate produces the Soul Music in your place, and can flank, though it cannot otherwise attack. You can dismiss the animated performance with a move action, regaining the use of the soulmeld; you also regain the soulmeld if the duplicate is destroyed.

Harmony and Agony (Su): You are one with the primal music at 10th level. Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature.  The next time you use an ability which forces a saving throw, as long as there is still essentia invested in this ability, as a free action you may return one invested essentia to your pool, and simultaneously increase the DC of the save by +2. Once essentia is invested in this ability, it remains invested until used. You cannot activate this ability more than once for any given saving throw.

Improved Armored Rig (Ex): Your instrument harness is so thickly layered with soulmelds by 11th level that it softens blows against you with extra vim. You gain damage reduction /– equal to the number of chakra binds you have at any given time; this stacks with all other sources of damage reduction.

Greater Combat Troubador (Ex): Upon reaching 15th level, you are a master of the music of battle. You may spend a move action to imbue an attack with the elegance of music. The next attack you make before the end of your next turn, if successful, is automatically a critical threat, and you may make a Perform check against a DC equal to your opponent's AC in place of an attack roll to confirm the critical hit.

Harmony and Ecstasy (Su): Your internalization of primordial harmonies has increased dramatically by 16th level. Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature.  The next time you make a saving throw, as long as there is still essentia invested in this ability, you may substitute a Perform check for the normal save roll if you choose. Once essentia is invested in this ability, it remains invested until you activate this ability for a save, at which point one invested essentia returns to your essentia pool.

Improved Tempo Fugit (Ex): When you achieve 17th level, your internal rhythms mimic the flow of events around you, even when you aren't fully aware of the fact. You always gain an action in a surprise round, even if you would normally have been surprised.

Incarnate Performance (Su): At 18th level, your animate performance becomes more real. As long as you have at least 1 essentia invested in the granted soulmeld, the duplicate gains a Strength score equal to one-half your own and can perform combat actions using phantom, non-magical versions of your gear, and make attacks of opportunity, though it cannot otherwise attack. Any items that lose contact with the duplicate dissipate immediately, and equipment that extends more than 5 feet from the duplicate (such as a length of rope) also disappears beyond that distance. In addition, the duplicate's hit points are equal to twice your Perform check result.

Greater Armored Rig (Ex): Beginning at 19th level, your harness is so thickly clustered with instruments that it protects your vulnerable points. You have a chance to negate critical hits and precision damage equal to 5% times the total amount of essentia you have invested in your soulmelds at any given time.

Polka Will Never Die (Ex): Upon reaching 20th level, you are sustained by music even beyond the bounds of life. Whenever you would die, as long as you have at least one essentia remaining in your pool or invested in your incarnum receptacles, you do not die. Instead, you lose one essentia from your essentia pool, or an incarnum receptacle of your choice, at the beginning of your turn in each round that you would be dead. When you have no more essentia remaining, you die as normal.

While you are sustained by your essentia, you may be targeted by spells which only affect dead creatures, such as raise dead or resurrection; alternatively, if you would have died due to hit point loss, your hit points can be raised above 0 by healing spells as normal.  In such a case, you cease to lose essentia from your pool, returning to your full functions (and hit points, if applicable), and regain 1 lost essentia into your pool per round at the beginning of your turn until you reach your normal maximum.