The background
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
This class and campaign assumes the usual well-optimized, “overpowering difficulty” level, tier 2-3 campaign with a 4-9 member party and heavy teamwork.
I posted a version of this build once in a heavily derailed thread of mine. The idea was using limited homebrew abilities to atleast be able to confront a near fully optimized caster. It didn't see much light of day so here goes.
Now, I know what you are thinking. “That's stupid! Casters are just going to rock your face if you try! No one can make a Tier 1 melee class without utterly breaking the game. You're just going to go TO...”
What I present is a minimally original class that I'd say could keep most any non-TO caster in its place. The ironic thing is that like any other melee, it would still die to an optimized charger.
So even if its not balanced, it at least feels like rock paper scissors to me.
Yes that's right. It doesn't get fly. It uses heavy armor. It is most optimal as a sword and board type character. You see where I'm headed with this? No? Not yet? Here we go:
This class started by taking a tier 5's spellcasting class and choosing one spell per level to cast. The SLA progression soon looked closer to a warlock's ... but with no at wills and no changing choices.
Its primary duty is usually healing which eventually shifts into tanking.... without Damage Reduction... or Spell Resistance. Really.
Suggested base class abilities include the Monk and the Paladin. Once the SLAs were not set, a whole truck load of restrictions fell on it.
The skeleton was originally based around the barbarian class. So it has no dead levels but the abilities build off each other and synergize like a good class should.
The first six levels when people would normally consider PrC'ing out are its weakest. Only by staying in until after wizards have their highest level spells will this class shine. Yes I'm aware it probably wouldn't last its 17th, 18th, or 19th level.
Sound bad? Just trust me on this. There are several things that make this class unique. He's the list:
Lots of HP. Without that... you look like a squishy caster. It's a must but it will still takes a lot of effort.
Knowledge is power. If you put enough levels in, this guy makes void disciples look like a kindergardener. Before whining about balance remember that it is nearly blind to non-casters.
One man party. Though the class is obviously geared towards a party role, it is not dependent on casters to make all its shiny bling can have its own buffs.
Truly counters what makes casters powerful – spells. Otherwise he is just one bag of muscles short of a horrible death via instantaneous conjuration orbs and yet another laughing caster.
In short, if you want to kill them, you either need to gank (you can't expect this thing to win an unfair fight of dozens of full casters) or kick his ass the hard way: with a weapon since he has no delay death silliness or ghostform and mystic shield or ... you get the point.
I am also aware that CL shenanigans with PrCs or Thrallherd leadership pyramids or Tainted scholars, etc can create casters with enough numbers (usually spell slots) to hold him down, then find him and do whatever for the lulz. Sorry if I disappoint but I'm not going into TO territory.
The 'brew:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Description: Antimages are their namesake. Set in their ways to the point of irrationality, blatantly disregarding the power that is magic all around them. They come in all manners only sharing the desire to thwart those that learn, over-use, and abuse magic. Other innate users including antimages and warlocks, or those who only dabble, however, are not immediate danger from an Antimage's zeal.
Alignment: Any (see below)
Hit Dice: d10
Starting Gold: 5d4x10 gp.
Class Skills: As Monk but you lose Balance, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (religion), Perform, Sense Motive, and Swim in order to gain Handle Animal
Skill Points: 2+int
Base Attack Bonus: Poor (and possibly full, see below)
Base Saves: Good Reflex & Will, Poor Fort (possibly good, see below) at standard rates (with possible maximums, see below)
Class Features: Code of Conduct, illiteracy, Leveling, Alignment & Ethos Progressions
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Antimages are proficient with unarmed strikes, any single chosen martial weapon, shields, and armor.
Illiteracy: Antimages do not automatically know how to read and write. An Antimage may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak.
Code of Conduct: If you ever willingly break any part of the following restrictions you lose all class abilities until atoned. Each code of conduct is cumulative based on your alignment.
(Red) Chaotic Antimages may not cast or manifest any spells, powers, SLAs, or PLA on any allies that can cast or manifest spells, powers, or at will SLAs of higher than 2nd level.
(Grey) Neutral Alignment Antimages must abide by mutliclass XP penalties for the classes chosen by this type of antimage. Favored classes still apply to the classes chosen for this antimage ability.
(Purple) Neutral Ethos Antimages may not voluntarily forgo any saves against magic other than your own, even by allied casters.
(White) Good Antimages may not kill any NPC that could be played (without alteration) as a PC. You must do everything in your power to prevent your party members doing this either, although they are aware of this. Such opponents must be captured or contained rather than slain. Monsters (creature which advance with RHD rather than class levels) may be killed even if their stat has class levels as an exception. Ultimately the DM decides (and should tell you) who must be restrained and which beasts may die from your party.
(Blue) Lawful Antimages may not take any offensive actions until all participating enemies have had a chance to act; you may move or heal but are not allowed to attack or force rolls from enemies. The DM ultimately decides what counts as offense, although you may simply ask in order to get the answer.
(Black) Evil Antimages must obey one prerequisite line for each prestige class chosen (even chaotic antimages do not have true spellcasting).
An Antimage may not willingly gain class levels in another class or change ethos or alignment without losing all class abilities until atoned. In this case she does not gain a different set of abilities and must be of her original alignment to gain her old ones. Antimages who unwillingly change ethos or alignment do not gain a different set of abilities but do not lose any class abilities, either.
Leveling: Due to the potential complexity of this class (if your DM doesn't already allow this), you may treat the order of things gained and chosen at level-up as flexible. For instance you may chose feats at any point during your current level or in the level-up process, rather than immediately after skill point allocation and before spell gains.
Special Abilities: Unlike a normal tier one class that always gets one progression of features and spells, the Antimage class has six sets of abilities. You gain abilities from the sets below as follows:
Red Chaotic Antimages gain the SLA/PLA abilities as shown below.
Grey Neutral Alignment Antimages gain the Base Class abilities as shown below.
Purple Neutral Ethos Antimages gain the Anti-Magic abilities as shown below.
White Good Antimages gain the Pure Homebrew abilities as shown below.
Blue Lawful Antimages gain the Creature abilities as shown below.
Black Evil Antimages gain the Prestige Class abilities as shown below.
Chaotic Antimages
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
SLAs and PLAs: If you have casting or mainfesting from another non-class, set list (such as racial SLAs, domains, etc) before gaining higher level abilities, the benefits below apply to your prior casting and manifesting.
This means spells or powers you have count as SLAs or PLAs if gaining before learning 2nd level SLA/PLAs. Exceptions to the SLA and PLA rules are noted below.
Your SLA/PLAs always cost XP (as your DM should enforce on player characters anyway). Your magical and psionic effects are much more basic and less regulated than real casters or manifestors.
At any point before or after use, each of your SLA or PLA uses can count as spontaneous or prepared. Prepared spells require an hour of quiet as normal. They may count as arcane or divine magic or neither. Infusions must still target an item and PLAs still manifest as psionic.
Preparing the SLA/PLAs require the same 8 hours of rest as casting or manifesting. If there is a psionic version of one of your known SLAs (the name will match or be followed or preceded by “psionic” or “psychic”), you may manifest it as a PLA instead.
Similar to a Factotum, you may apply metamagic feats to your SLAs, keeping track of the slot increases as needed which you must pay for out of your other uses' spell levels.
You may apply metapsionic feats to your PLAs, keeping track of the pp increase to that power as normal.
You may pay an SLA's metamagic or a PLA's metapsionic costs in advance and apply it spontaneously, which does not manifesting time but does increase casting time.
To determine other effects or interatctions, you should interpret your 'uses' as 'slots' where appropriate. Your primary casting/manifesting stat associated with these new abilities is charisma.
The minimum charisma needed to cast or manifest is 10 + level. DCs are 10 + cha + spell or power level
At level 1, an antimage chooses the 20 SLA/PLAs she will learn one at a time, each level, as given by the chart below.
Lists between different antimages are often vastly different, but once each list is chosen, it may not be changed, reformatted, or retrained.
You may choose these SLA/PLAs at the level they appear on any casting/manifesting list subject to the restrictions below.
You may use an entry in this main list a number of times per day equal to the lesser of your class level or 9 minus the SLA/PLA's level.
All lower level SLA/PLAs must come before any SLA/PLAs of a higher level.
The sum of an antimage's regular SLA/PLA progression's spell slot levels must be under 90
A Chaotic ethos antimage has a SLA/PLA progression as follows:
At least 2 1st level spells/powers
At least 2 2nd level spells/powers
At least 2 3rd level spells/powers
At least 2 4th level spells/powers
At least 2 5th level spells/powers
At least 2 6th level spells/powers
At Most 2 7th level spells/powers
At Most 2 8th level spells/powers
If you permanently have domains, they grant SLAs/PLAs (explained above) called Domain List A and B instead of their normal spell list.
Unlike normal domain slots an antimage's domains may not mix and match spells between lists; once chosen, your Domain List A and Domain List B cannot be changed, reformatted or retrained.
You may choose these SLA/PLAs at the level they appear on any casting/manifesting list subject to the restrictions below. You may not chose [chaotic] subtype domain spells.
You may use each spell in that day's list once a day.
The increased uses comes at a loss of flexibility as you must alternate lists each day rather than picking and choosing spells per level as normal with domain slots.
The sum of an antimage's domain SLA/PLA progression's spell slot levels must be under 75
A Chaotic neutral antimage's domain SLA/PLA progression is as follows:
At least 2 1st level spells/powers
At least 2 2nd level spells/powers
At least 2 3rd level spells/powers
At least 2 4th level spells/powers
At least 2 5th level spells/powers
At most 1 6th level spells/powers
At most 1 7th level spells/powers
At most 1 8th level spells/power
An antimage gains no 0th level spells.
The main list's maximum total spell/power levels (level of spell/power * number of uses, summed) must be less than 90.
Each domain spell list must have a maximum total spell/power levels of no more than 75.
You may chose any 1st to 8th chose spell or power from any list (including unique lists such as artificer) within the following limits:
No spells/powers that allow you to become, make, or join another form, being, or body, including incorporeality
No spells/powers that give complete immunity to a single or all melee or ranged attacks, even if its only from a specific material
No spells/powers that allow you to automatically percieve casting or dispel other forms of magic. That's for neutral ethos antimages.
No spells/powers that force movement or create barriers restricting it. This is loosely referred to as battlefield control
No spells/powers that control, create, summon, or call other creatures. Antimages do their own fighting.
No spells/powers that generally rewrite normal mundane combat such as percentile retributive damage or becoming immune to attacks of opportunity or death by hp loss.
No spells/powers that gives free lives (“1up”s) or consumes/borrows another's lifeforce/stats to add to your own even temporarily.
No spells/powers that directly allow the emulated casting of other spells such as Anyspell. An antimage only knows one spell every level up for her regular list and domain A and B if she has them.
No spells/powers that create weapons that emulate weapon attacks or manipulate items for you. Antimages do their own fighting.
No spells/powers that give the benefit of epic skill checks or (if its a spell) otherwise allow uncapped CL benefits
No spells/powers whose hefty drawback can cripple enemies if it somehow effects them but are meant for the caster. These are usually called 'anti-buffs' (which is separate from debuffs).
No spells/powers that give magic immunity, even if it is just for a certain level of spell. That is for neutral ethos antimages.
No spells/powers that have the [Good] or [Evil] or [Lawful] subtypes. An antimage with SLAs is primarily chaotic, after all.
Abilities that would expand the above spell selection do not function unless they have their own uses.
Neutral Alignment Antimages:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Base Class Abilities: At each level, you may pick any base class regardless of alignment restrictions. You gain the abilities of that level as if you were a member of that class at that level.
If a chosen base class has a chart progression or ability that adds onto itself (such as a rogue's sneak attack), you only gain the increment for that level. For instance a third level antimage selecting his first rogue level would only gain +1d6 sneak attack rather than the +2d6 sneak attack total shown at that level, because half of that came from level 1. An antimage who selected both Rogue 1 and Rogue 3 would gain (Su) (see below) +2d6 sneak attack.
If an ability both progresses more uses, and can do more things with those uses at higher level, you the additional benefits only up to the highest level of the selected base class. For instance the above example would sneak attack as a third level rogue, rather than a 2nd level one for the purposes of uncanny dodge, even after becoming a fourth level antimage.
Any previous negative abilities of the chosen class are gained, such as a barbarian's illiteracy or a psion's discipline focus. It the negative ability has a positive side (such as a wizard's banned schools) you do not gain it.
You either gain the (Ex) class abilities of the level decided upon as (Su) at that level or you gain the abilities unaltered, but one level behind normal. You always gain the above mentioned negative abilities of any previous levels in a chosen class.
You never gain spells/powers known, spell/power lists or spell slots/pp for that class (see above for domain spells).
You may not gain abilities that emulate other spells or powers, although other chart-based power sources are fine on the margin.
You don't gain proficiencies or higher BAB, HD, saves, or skill point progressions for the chosen class rather or in addition to than your antimage levels.
Neutral Ethos Antimages:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
First the ability progression in order from 1-20:
(Su) Not the Brightest Bulb
(Su) Slower is Faster
(Su) From Tick to Dragon
(Su) Minimized Magic
(Su) Flexible Retraining
(Su) Practice Makes Perfect
(Ex) Mana Burn
(Su) Greater Spellcaster's Bane
(Su) Shields as they should be
(Su) Resist Time
(Su) Armor as it should be
(Ex) Magical Antithesis
(Su) Dismiss Magic
(Su) Magical Affiliation Negation
(Su) Above Magic
(Su) Magically Inconsiderable
(Su) Sacrificial Healing Pool
(Su) One with the Void
(Su) Deny Magic
(Su) Magic Conquered
Then the descriptions:
Only through pain can you hone your abilities. For each full 2.5% below full HP your current total is, you may use one of the following abilities. You may chose which abilities you may use if your high is too high to benefit from all your abilities.
At 1st level you count any mental score as having a modifier of three if it is actually lower than that. This applies to skill points, even for first level.
At 2nd level once an encounter as a free action after your turn, you may set your initiative to the initiative of the enemy caster/manifester/etc with the highest initiative minus your initiative modifier.
If your initiative modifier is less than zero, then your new initiative will be higher than the caster with the highest initiative.
At 3rd level any time you gain a size change, you may retain any differences from your old size favorable to you. For instance after growing from medium to large, you could squeeze as if you were a medium creature.
If you have the powerful trait and are Colossal, you may treat Colossal+ as a full size category, giving you the expected Changes to Statistics by Size.
At 4th level magical effects are minimized whenever effecting you, as if any associated dice rolls yielded the smallest number. You may choose to forgo this ability purposely as a free action.
At 5th level chose a mental stat and a physical stat. Any abilities that to use that mental stat instead use a new physical stat instead.
At 6th level Chose up to five skills you can use. You may use a single physical stat instead of their normally associated stat.
At 7th level all physical attacks remove one slot (as if cast) of each level (81pp for manifestors with 9th level powers) and deals an extra 10 damage per hit.
Only the latter effect allows SR and DC equal to what the DC would have been for the highest spell slot lost if they attackee had cast it on herself.
At 8th level so long as you maintain full ranks in spellcraft and psicraft, you realize when any spell, power, or similar ability source (including abilities that emulate such effects) within line of sight and line of effect takes effect or is prepared as if you had succeeded on a spellcraft or psicraft check. You become aware of any creatures that activate your Battlemagic Perception. This is not a divination effect and requires only the check. If there are a high number of these at one one time, this ability does not afford you special cognitive functions to combat the assault on your memory. It is far too much for any one ping to be written (which would take a full round action per entry due to the stress) without losing access to further awareness during the rounds spent recording. You can only keep track of the last minute's worth of this awareness, without stopping the ability and forgetting any and every entry you attempted to remember regardless of mental scores or memorization.
At 9th level if you are using a tower shield and have continuously worn it for the last 24 hours, you may use and gain the benefits of any spikes on the shield. You may apply shield spikes to an existing tower shield for 25gp.
If you are size Huge or larger, you may attach to your forearm any shield type, even if said shield is not a buckler. Unlike normal even for a buckler, attaching a shield to your forearm now gives no penalty to hit.
If you are not using an animated shield, you may grant all allies within 100' shield proficiency and a shield bonus equal to any you are equipped to have.
At 10th level, you resist any changes in the time stream of any combats you are involved in. For instance, if any enemy wizard cast time stop, you would be brought into the accelerated time frame to take actions.
At 11th level chose one skill to which your armor will not apply its ACP. Furthermore you gain extra armor abilities under certain conditions:
If you have not removed your armor for the last 24 hours, it counts as being apart of you for magical effects. For example, an enemy would not be able to use armor-damaging abilities on your worn armor.
As long as you are in Heavy armor you are treated as if using the Total Defense Option. Unlike normal for this option, you gain no to hit penalties from it.
As long as you are not helpless or immobilized, you may count its AC and your shield AC for the purpose of avoiding damage to your worn or carried items.
As long as you are in Heavy armor, wearing your physical armor provides an unnamed bonus to AC rather than an armor bonus.
At 12th level all Su, or item abilities for you and your bonded pets (animal companion, special mount, etc) may become unsupressed, at will, when exposed to Antimagics, Null psionics, Dead Magic zones, Wild Magic, Mournelands, etc. You may not alter such abilities as they affect others (discluding your bonded pets). For instance you may use an item on yourself but not an ally that is also in an AMF
At 13th level once per encounter as a free action you may dismiss one spell from an enemy as if it were your own so long as your level is less than or equal to the spell you are dismissing.
At 14th level you gain the ability to, once per round as a free action, deactivate any feat related to casting with no save or SR if you are aware of it. The feat is unusable for one minute.
You know each feat used for spells currently in effect or currently being cast, but only at the time this ability is used. This is not a divination effect.
At 15th level you may add a will save to any interaction with magic or its effects that do not allow a save similar to Divine Denial, except this works for any magic rather than just targeted divine spells.
At 16th level spells such as contingency or other logic-based, magical triggering effects cease to work in relation to you or your actions (Magical answers are given without considering your existence even through self-reference). You may chose to allow any you are aware of to function if you wish.
At 17th level 1/day you may subtract up to ½ your current hit points to place them in a delayed healing pool. You may as a free action later remove some or all of it to heal yourself or an ally within 100' times your level.
Unused healing in your delayed healing pool does not disappear from previous deposits, but the amount of healing may never exceed your usual maximum hit points.
For example, level drain could cause the amount of healing in the pool to go down but not rise upon removing the negative level and restoring the pool's maximum.
At 18th level your Greater BattleMagic Perception ability no longer requires line of sight or line of effect. It works at any range and across planes. You know the identity and locations of creatures or items preparing or using the relevant abilities. This is not a divination effect.
At 19th level you may choose as a free action to negate any spell or replicated spell as it is cast or during its duration that you know from the your Greater BattleMagic Perception or Magically Inconsiderable abilities by taking damage equal to spell's level times the caster's primary casting ability modifier plus the Caster Level. The caster is not aware of the spell or replicated spell's negation until it is used. This damage cannot be redirected, lessened, or negated. If reduced to 0 or less hp by this damage, you are dying and cannot reuse this ability again until healed.
Creatures that share spells are considered spell-countered when the original caster is thwarted. For example you may stop a 36 Int Wizard with a CL of 20 from casting a 8th level spell by taking 104 damage
At 20th level whenever you defeat (via lethal or non-lethal damage) a creature on whom you have used your deny magic ability you may attempt to rend the magic from its body. This is is treated like the caster had failed the willsave after successfully disjunctioning an artifact. This ability has no save. A successful magical rend precludes the ability to ever learn cast spells or manifest powers in the future.
Your percentage chance to succeed is the sum of all spell levels the creature possesses for both used and unused spells including open spell slots as well as spell emulating abilities with uses per day.
If you succeed by more than 100%, you may 'store' the remaining % to be added to the next use of this ability only. If it is not used then, it is lost, and the extra cannot be added roll-over to future uses.
Good Alignment Antimage:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
First the Ability names:
(Su) One to a Dozen
(Su) Class Feature Alteration
(Su) Flexible Sources
(Su) Buyoff Break
(Su) Spending Addiction
(Su) Double them HD
(Su) Double dat Race
(Su) HD Bump
(Su) Heightened Defensiveness
(Su) Better with Age
(Su) Hear the Phantoms
(Su) Save Boost
(Su) Stacking SR & DR
(Su) Double the Lines
(Su) Unarmed Blitz
(Su) Base Attack Gain
(Su) Instant Healing
(Su) HD Bump
(Su) Multi-healer
(Su) Support the Team
Then the Ability Descriptions:
At 1st level chose one feat you gained at first level that provides a numeric or variable effect, even if it cannot be gained more than once. You gain this feat a dozen more times as if the feats stacked.
If, for example, you took acrobatics as your starting feat then you gain an additional +24 to balance and escape artist.
At 2nd level you count as any race for alternate class features or substitution levels of any class so long as you matching ability names at the indicated level. You may even decide to forfeit abilities you do not have yet since you must stay in this class.
Any changes you chose permanently change the class chasis, although it does not add class skills. As an exception, the chasis changes even for previous or later levels. Once these decisions are made, they may not be changed.
At 3rd level you may chose to have all (Ex) abilities become (Su). Doing so allows the two things. Feats changed by this ability may be gained twice, rather than once. This does not affect the stacking rules.
For instance a lawful Antimage selecting a creature's bonus feat would gain that feat twice. This ability does not allow non-stacking feats to stack.
Also all (Ex) abilities that become (Su) abilities have their abilities continue to advance with each Antimage level as if additional levels were invested, potentially giving more iterations of the same ability.
For instance a lawful Antimage selecting a CR10 young adult brass dragon would by level 20 gain 5 higher Frightful Presence DCs or 3 additional rounds of sleep on a failed save of its breath weapon.
At 4th level your LA buyoff costs are cut by a third (since they happen at levels that are multiples of 3) and are based on 1000*Class Level rather than new ECL. This applies even retroactively to the buyoff of LA+1
At 5th level you may spend any XP you have access to in any way XP can be spent, even if not normally possible for that source. For instance, you can spend XP you have gained to help an ally level up. The one exception is for spellcasting/manifesting/etc. Antimages wish to limit magic, on average, not expand it.
XP recovered or spent this way may not be used for casting spells or manifesting powers. Antimages wish to limit magic, on average, not expand it.
At 6th level all past, present, and future HD give double the feats and stat boosts. If a second iteration of the same feat would not stack, this ability does not change that, although you still gain a useless copy of the second feat.
At 7th level all past, present, and future bonii from race and template give double the feats and stat boosts. If a second iteration of the same feat would not stack, this ability does not change that, although you still gain a useless copy of the second feat.
At 8th level all of your HP dice are increased one step to a larger die size.
At 9th level you may, as a free action, make a DC25+HD knowledge check to determine all of an enemy's special attacks aside from spells known or prepared.
At 10th level your body gets stronger with age rather than weaker. Your aging penalties become boni and your mental boni instead also add to your physical stats.
At 11th level you can hear silent or incorporeal enemies as long as you are corporeal.
At 12th level a Neutral ethos Antimage gains a “Good” base saves progression instead of a “Poor” one for each of her HD.
Each HD gives a base save bonus as if it were the first hit die, meaning the good saves give a +2.5 (fractionally) saves bonus
At 13th level you may stack more than one amount of SR or DR or TR.
If your game already allows all sources of SR to stack with itself and all sources of DR to stack with itself, then you SR and DR values add to the same number: the sum of what they would normally be.
A 14th level if your bloodline abilities are all taken from existing BL descriptions and have another ability from the same bloodline Description (the affinity BL desc shows up x4, all others show up x2), you gain each effect twice (effectively giving the BL to you again, stacking as if it were a separate source). Feats that do not stack become bonus feats
At 15th level your natural weapons also receive the attack die boosts from your unarmed damage. Precision damage is likewise no longer such and now adds to your attack damage directly.
At 16th level each HD adds a full base attack bonus. If this would cause your BaB to exceed +20 you may gain extra iterations, but it does not qualify you for epic feats that require more than 20 BAB if you would not otherwise qualify.
At 17th level any limited healing effects you bestow may be activated as a free action, which may exceed the number of free actions to which your DM normally limits a PC. This provides no benefit to healing effects which do not run out, such as a Dread Necromancer's Charnel Touch when in range of an undead ally.
At 18th level all of your HP dice are increased one step to a larger die size.
At 19th level your fast healing from multiple sources stack. If your DM already allows this (as he should) double your total fast healing rate.
At 20th level you may bestow any or all of the above abilities on any or all creatures that you consider allies and that reside within a mile of a location you have been within the last day.
Lawful Antimage
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Monster Abilities: An antimage of this path choses at each level a non-epic, non-templated, non-unique monster lacking class levels with HD or CR within one of your class level. You must have seen this monster engage in combat.
You may then chose a special ability or special quality of the chosen creature. Once chosen, such an entry may not be changed. All chosen abilities or qualities are subject to the restrictions below.
You may not gain statistics without an ability entry such as size, type, subtypes, HD, speeds, AC (including natural armor), BAB, space, reach, natural weapons, saves, ability scores, skill ranks, non-bonus feats, environment, organization, CR, treasure, alignment, weight, etc. You may chose abilities that effect those values, though.
No similar abilities emulating class features that would not normally stack. That is for Neutral alignment antimages. Class abilities that would stack such as sneak attack, you may only gain from one creature.
No abilities that grow or remove HD or stats such as a barghest.
No abilities that create copies, minions, or spawn, or slaves.
No abilities that make automatic skill checks such as a silent creature.
No Spell-like or spellcasting abilities including summoning abilities or abilities matching the name of a spell. Those are for chaotic alignment Anti Mages. For example a blink dog's Dimension Door
No appendage-growing abilities or abilities that depend on parts your base race does not have (eye rays, etc).
No abilities that allow you to make more of yourself or turn yourself into something else (pudding, phasm, etc).
No continuous or infinitely every round action-gaining abilities (Choker, etc). This includes abilities that give extra rounds. Limited use ones are fine (cheetah, etc).
No type or subtype traits such as undead traits or swarm traits. This includes specified immunities that are normal for a creature type or subtype such as a lich with mind-affecting immunity or an archon's electricity immunity.
No Spell Immunity. For example, as a golem.
No abilities that absorb effects, often damaging effects. These are more powerful than immunities.
You may only select two immunities, even if you chose a creature that has more. For instance a unicorn would give immunity to charms and compulsions, but you could not gain any more immunities.
No abilities that would heal upon, change a damage type, or block or divide a type of damage such as spells or magic, acid, dexterity, nonlethal, negative, etc, (ie shambling or bone devil).
Regeneration or similar abilities must be bypassed by a type of damage that can deal lethal damage to you. If you become immune to the type of damage that bypasses your regeneration, you lose your regeneration.
You may only have one Regeneration, Fast healing, Spell Resistance and Damage Reduction ability. These cease to work when lethal or nonlethal damage would reach your HP value. This means you must track these values even if you are immune to either: you do not become immune to damage.
No abilities that interfere with your death or others, ie. Ghost or bhargest
Knowledge checks that reveal something related to a chosen ability of a chosen creature also apply to you. Effects that specify the creature also work on you: for instance if you chose a tiger for one your abilities, a spell that targets only tigers would successfully target you
Evil Antimages:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Prestige Class Abilities:
At each level, you may pick any non-epic prestige class. Once chosen, you must chose any two levels of that class, no more and no less. You must finish each prestige class before starting the next (but see below). You may not start a new prestige class at Antimage level 20. You gain the abilities of those levels as if you were a member of that class, subject to the restrictions below. Unless also chosen, you do not gain previous abilities from lower levels of that class.
You must order the prestige classes by the sum of the levels's numbers, from lowest to highest with priority given to the first level of a chosen prestige class, to select your prestige classes and levels in that order. For instance, an antimage who has already taken the first and tenth levels (1+10=11) of Arcane Archer may not then take the second and fourth levels (2+4=6) of duelest because 11, 6 is not arranged lowest to highest.
If you would gain an ability that is functionally identical to an ability of a base class, you do not gain that prestige class's level's abilities. Those are for Neutral ethos antimages. Instead chose a new prestige class to start, which is still subject to the this retry condition. You must finish any interrupting prestige classes first, before finishing the interrupted prestige class.
You do not gain casting capabilities or casting advancement of any chosen prestige classes. A chaotic antimage who picks a prestige class that would normally advance or grant casting/manifesting, instead gains a (Su) bonus metamagic/metapsionic feat. You may not gain abilities that emulate other spells or powers, although other chart-based power sources are fine on the margin.
You don't gain proficiencies or higher BAB, HD, saves, or skill point progressions for the chosen class rather or in addition to than your antimage levels
Clearly NG is the most "traditional" path and I'm open to ideas on the dead/unnamed ability levels. Please post what you can do with this class. Is it as powerful as a wizard? As hard to CO? As flexible? Does it feel too much like a warlock with items or too much like a StP Erudite with every trick in the book? Demonstrate below vis a vis another Tier 1 class!
