Promethean

Dark stars that glitter beyond the reach of most telescopes, imbued with a profane intellect that promises power and knowledge to those who would listen, and obey. Forbidden tomes forged from ancient secrets and lost obsessions, locked away to protect and to hide. Ghastly and forbidden rituals designed to warp one’s flesh, and with it one’s mind. All things mortals try to hide from themselves, lest staring too deeply into the abyss awakens something within. The mortal mind is a fragile and easily fooled thing, often shrouding itself in warm and comforting obliviousness to survive everyday existence. In the rare cases that shrouds are pulled away, their mind given a full glimpse of the vast madness of reality, the experience can lead to transcendence, obsession, and amazing progress.

Prometheans are drawn from the ranks of such mortals, those too curious, passionate, or foolish to leave well enough alone from knowledge not meant for mortal minds. Ever pushing forward in the search of progress, prometheans embody creativity and the pursuit of knowledge at any cost, even if it requires them to destroy their body or their mind in the process. Prometheans are obsessive in their drive to understand reality and their place within it, especially as it relates to the arts of the body, mind, and soul, willing to perform and seek out the unspeakable and unknowable to accomplish their goals, leaving trails of destruction and madness in their wake. This process grants the promethean great power, often at a particularly great cost, allowing them to tap into the most secretive and hidden akashic records and to shape these maddening and forbidden veils into fruition.

Role: Prometheans use their research of occult, alien, and forbidden knowledge to modify their bodies and minds, inflict their foes with debilitating conditions, and to attempt to alter the world to their whims. Depending on their choice of veils and obsession, a promethean can range from a melee-oriented combatant to a debuff-focused caster.

Alignment: Prometheans can be of any alignment, but the drive to seek that what is forbidden and the willingness to do anything to accomplish their obsessive goals causes many to shirk laws and morality.

Hit die: d8.

Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (Average 105 gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The promethean’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table 1-1: The Promethean
Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Class Features Veils Essence
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Promethean obsession 1 1
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Chakra bind (Hands) 2 3
3 +2 +3 +1 +3 Improved essence Cap +1, forbidden knowledge 2 4
4 +3 +4 +1 +4 Chakra bind (Feet) 2 6
5 +3 +4 +1 +4 Promethean obsession feature 3 7
6 +4 +5 +2 +5 Chakra bind (Head) 3 9
7 +5 +5 +2 +5 Forbidden knowledge 3 10
8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Chakra bind (Wrists) 4 12
9 +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Improved essence cap +2, promethean obsession feature 4 13
10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Chakra bind (Shoulders) 4 15
11 +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 Forbidden knowledge 5 16
12 +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Chakra bind (Headband) 5 18
13 +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Promethean obsession feature 5 19
14 +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 Chakra bind (Neck) 6 21
15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 Improved Essence Cap +3, Forbidden Knowledge 6 22
16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Chakra bind (Belts) 6 24
17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Promethean obsession feature 7 25
18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Chakra bind (Chest) 7 27
19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Forbidden Knowledge 7 28
20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Chakra bind (Body), promethean obsession feature 8 30

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Prometheans are proficient with all simple weapons, light armor, and bucklers.

Veilweaving

A promethean learns to shape the magical power known as akasha into powerful veils, which are drawn from the promethean veil list. They know and can shape any veil from this list. The promethean uses their Intelligence as their veilweaving modifier, and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level. The saving throw DCs of the promethean’s veils are equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + the promethean’s veilweaving modifier.

The promethean can only shape a limited number of veils per day. They can shape 1 veil at 1st level, and gain the ability to shape 1 additional veil each day at 2nd level, and every 3 levels thereafter. A promethean must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for one hour to prepare their veils for the day.

At 1st level, the promethean gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their veils and other essence receptacles to increase their power. The promethean gains 1 point of essence at each odd class level, and 2 points of essence at each even level, as per Table: The Promethean.

Promethean Obsession

Prometheans begin their journey seeking an answer to a hidden truth or piece of forbidden knowledge that slowly begins to consume their waking and dreaming thoughts, continuously pushing them further and further down a path of obsession. The knowledge and goals each promethean seeks are different, but they often follow one of several paths of madness-laced obsession.

At 1st level, the promethean selects a promethean obsession. Their obsession grants them two unique abilities at 1st level and as the promethean pursues their obsession they uncover further insights, granting them additional abilities or improvements at 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th level.

Chakra Binds

At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, the promethean gains the ability to bind veils directly to their chakra, unlocking potent new abilities. The promethean gains the ability to bind chakra slots in the following order: Hands, Feet, Head, Wrists, Shoulders, Headband, Neck, Belt, Chest, Body.

Improved Essence Capacity

The promethean’s occult studies grants them knowledge of how to better invest their essence. At 3rd, 9th, and 15th level the maximum essence capacity of all of the promethean’s essence receptacles increases by 1.

Forbidden Knowledge

The promethean’s study of the eldritch and forbidden unlocks deep and troubling secrets which they can exploit, providing them access to fearsome and strange abilities that are normally feared and hidden. This forbidden knowledge was not meant for the minds of mortal beings, and the studying of such things slowly begins to warp the body and mind of those foolish enough to learn and exploit them. These abilities are mostly beneficial to the promethean, but such exploitations of the forbidden often come with a cost to mind or body. At 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter, the promethean learns a piece of forbidden knowledge. If a piece of forbidden knowledge emulates a spell, the promethean uses their class level as their caster level for that spell. If a piece of forbidden knowledge has a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + the promethean’s veilweaving modifier + the number of points of essence invested in the forbidden knowledge.

Favored Class Bonuses

Prometheans belonging to an indicated species below can gain the listed benefit in place of normal benefits (if it is that character’s favored class). Abilities providing effective increases to essence investiture do not stack with an akashic catalyst, or similar abilities.

All Species: Gain +1/4 point of essence.

All Species: Gain +1/6 of an Akashic feat.

Aasimar: +10% to the time between unmaintained fleshsculpting ability bonus reductions.

Ceptu: +1/6 to the DCs of veils or supernatural abilities with the [mind-affecting] descriptor.

Changeling: +1/2 a point of precision damage to sneak attacks made while mimicking the target.

Creeper: Add +1/4 to your damage rolls with natural attacks.

Dhampir: +1/4 to the DCs of veils or supernatural abilities with the [fear] descriptor.

Dwarf: Treat one veil you have shaped with the [fleshwarp] descriptor as having +1/6 additional essence invested; this does not count against your normal limit on invested essence.

Drow: Add +1/10 to the number of 1st level abilities you can grant with your fleshsculpting ability. Also add +1/4 to the essence capacity of the Warper of Flesh forbidden knowledge.

Elf: Treat one of your pieces of forbidden knowledge as having +1/6 additional essence invested; this does not count against your normal limit on invested essence. This ability does not stack with a forbidden tome, or similar abilities.

Fetchling: +1/5 of a Shape Veil feat to learn a veil with the [darkness] or [shadow] descriptor.

Gamla: Treat one veil from the Shapes of the Primordial set as having +1/6 additional essence invested; this does not count against your normal limit on invested essence.

Gnome: Add +1/4 to the saving throw DCs of any one veil from the Dreams of Power set.

Goblin: +1/5 of a Shape Veil feat to learn a veil with the [fire] descriptor.

Halfling: Gain +1/4 bonus on Will saves against [fear] and mind-[affecting] effects.

Half-Elf: +1/5 a Shape Veil feat.

Human: Add +1/4 to the saving throw DCs of any one veil from the Trappings of the Old Gods set.

Ifrit: +1/5 to the DCs of veils and supernatural abilities that were used the round prior on the same target.

Judow: +1/6 to the DCs of any veils or supernatural abilities with [fear] or [evil] descriptors.

Kitsune: +1/6 to the DCs of veils or supernatural abilities with the [mind-affecting] descriptor.

Mirrorkin: +1/2 a point of precision damage to sneak attacks made while mimicking the target.

Morphbear: +1/6 to the DCs of any veil matching the energy type of your current elemental affinity.

Orc: Add +1/4 to your damage rolls with natural attacks.

Oread: +1/5 species bonus to Natural AC while at 100% of total Hit Points.

Rhyzala: +1d20% to the time between unmaintained fleshsculpting ability bonus reductions.

Shadow Fey: +1/6 to the DCs of any veils or supernatural abilities with [darkness] or [shadow] descriptors.

Sobek: Treat one veil from the Warsculpter’s Menagerie set as having +1/6 additional essence invested; this does not count against your normal limit on invested essence.

Sylph: +1’ (in 5’ increments) to movement speeds granted by fleshsculpting, [polymorph] effects, or veils.

Suqur: Add +1/4 to the saving throw DCs of any one veil from the Dreams of Power set.

Tiefling: +1/5 of a Shape Veil feat.

Undine: +1/6 to the effective level of any veil or spell with the [cold] or [water] descriptors.

Vanara: +1 foot to movement speeds when shaping a veil bound to the foot chakra, apply at 5’ increments.

Veryx (amoxa): +1/6 to hit with touch attacks.

Veryx (semxi or semoxa): +1/5 of an Access Chakra feat (Low, Middle, or High).

Wolger: Add +½ damage to any spell or veil with the [electricity] descriptor.

Wyrmkin: +1/5 of a Shape Veil feat to learn a veil that can be bound to the feet chakra.

Xodai: +1/6 to the DCs of any single veil with an [evil] descriptor or one matching the energy type of their hellcore.

Promethean Veil List

In addition to the veils presented in this book, prometheans gain access to the following veils.

Hands: Aphos’s Blooded Gauntlets, Immaculate Touch, Lashing Spinnerets, Plaguebringer Gauntlets, Riven Darts

Feet: Pestilence Cloak, Pooling Black, Tauric Brace, Voidwalkers

Head: Darkwalker Hood, Empty Maw, Sentinel’s Helm, Void Countenance

Wrists: Darkholds, Embrace of the Old Ones, Lashing Spinnerets, Tentacles of Abolethic Sovereignty

Shoulders: Cloak of Darkness, Embrace of the Old Ones, Mantle of Murderous Intent, Pestilence Cloak, Spore Wings

Headband: Crown of Inevitable Command, Dreamcatcher, Eye of the Oracle, Imp’s Eyes

Neck: Collar of Skilled Instruction, Cry of the Erinyes, Priestess’ Clasp of Rebirth, Vrock’s Screech

Belt: Bloodeater’s Belt, Catrina’s Sarong, Cerebral Catastrophe Cinch, Stone Giant’s Girdle, Tauric Brace, Voidwalkers

Chest: Cuirass of Confidence, Demon Lord’s Hunger, Devil’s Barbs, Heart of the Wight, Spiderweb Wrappings

Body: Babau Skin, Mantle of Murderous Intent, Martyr’s Toga, Robe of the Forgotten Deity, Stone Giant’s Girdle

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