Special Cases
Being a ‘special case’ means a character has a something that makes him stand apart, for better or worse. Each variant comes with its own special benefits and its own built-in drawbacks. If a character so chooses, he may attempt to develop his powers, mainly by choosing one of the Godling classes or Sorceror class.
UNDER DEVELOPMENT!!!
Possessed
Demons sometimes break into the mind of a person, burrowing deep within, muttering dark secrets and urging its host to perform things he wouldn’t otherwise do. Such poor souls don’t last long, and if they are not killed or arrested by their fellows, they might be able to be exorcised by a wandering priest, with some luck.
A possessed character is one that has harboured a possessing demon (although one with a milder disposition) for some time now, and is aware of the entity within him. He has not been able to rid himself of it, but has reached a certain level of understanding with the demon.
Such a demon has realized the value of keeping a host, instead of putting him at risk. This may be due to boredom, fear or some hidden agenda. The demon may also be wary of being exorcised, and having a host that values its presence may be beneficial to it. By accepting every so often requests from the demon, the host can borrow some of its power once in a while. He can eventually gain access to secret knowledge and dark, fell powers by developing his connection with the demon. However, the demon’s demands will inevitably lead its host to evil, possibly to the point where someone else will have to stop him.
Possessed characters should have high Wis scores (or Will saves) to be able to resist the demon’s mental control, and good Cha scores (or Diplomacy or Bluff) in order to convince the demon to help them.
Unlike other special cases, a possessed character may eventually exorcise his demon, or the demon may leave of its own free will. In such a case, the character immediately gains a -3 penalty to Will saves due to psychological withdrawal symptoms, which works as a new flaw, but gains an extra feat.
- Demonic Influence: the demon inside has its own agenda and interests, and will try to steer the character towards his goals. He may apply a -4 penalty to any ability score at any time he decides, as well as take it away, as a free action. He can also influence the possessed character’s thoughts, pushing him to do things he otherwise wouldn’t, either through direct demands or application of certain emotions and memories. In such a case, the possessed must succeed on a Will save DC 18 (with modifiers depending on the situation), or do what the demon demands, as if affected by suggestion.
- The Demon Inside: the entity inside a possessed character has full access to his host’s surface thoughts, but can also access its host’s memory. The host can try to resist memory probing with a DC 18 Will save, though most memories will already have been investigated after harbouring the demon for so long. If he succeeds, he manages to keep the demon out of his thoughts for 8h.
- Power Gift: a possessed may beseech his inner demon for power. The demon decides if helping is worth its trouble, subject to the DM. If the demon does not seem inclined to help, he can try a Diplomacy check DC 20 (with modifiers depending on the situation). He can try as Bluff check instead, as long as the demon does not manage to read his thoughts. If the demon is convinced to help, the possessed gains a +4 profane bonus to one of his ability scores (the demon decides which).
- Demon Puppet: if the situation is dire, the demon itself may take control of the host to try and save itself. The host may try to resist it with a Will save DC 18. If the demon takes over, the host gains a +3 bonus to his attacks, and a +2 bonus to his Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma (only up to a maximum of 20 on each ability score). The demon can also now use its own powers through its host: inflict light wounds* and telekinesis at will (both caster level 4) and a haunting Aura of Dread, that causes every creature within 60ft to become shaken unless they succeed on a Will save DC 16 (success means they are immune to the aura for 24h). The demon has the following skillset: Bluff +12, Intimidate +14, Perception +10. During the time the demon is in control of a character’s body, his eyes glow red with a malevolent light. *(in this campaign, inflict light wounds does not allow a save against damage, only the touch attack is required)
Cambion
Born of a union between a demon and a mortal, cambions are generally slain upon birth. Those that are mercifully spared suffer persecution, and are generally the scapegoats of every community that tolerates them, even if it’s not completely aware of their strange nature’s origins. Some might survive in the outskirts of civilization, others resort to disguise and inconspicuousness to disappear in the crowds of larger towns.
Cambions show the taint of their heritage clearly: pointed teeth, small horns, clawed feet and red eyes. To an extent, these features may be concealed. Otherwise, they are physically attractive and charismatic. They have a natural talent for deceiving people, and an uncanny ability to strike fear into their foes.
Their mind is forever troubled with evil thoughts, and a cambion needs a good mental endurance to resist the urges to steal, destroy and murder everyone around him. Their supernatural nature also gives them the Gift of magic: if trained, they can become powerful sorcerors.
They can be found among all the mortal races, and are universally shunned.
Cambions possess both physical and mental gifts, and can benefit from having high Str, Dex and Con scores to become formidable fighters; on the other hand a high Cha allows them to get the most of their magical abilities and powers as a spellcaster. However, they should possess a strong Wis score (or Will save) as well, to resist the powerful urges that threaten to take over their mind.
- Subtype: cambions have the (evil) subtype, even if they manage to lead a non-evil lifestyle. Their evil taint is easily picked up by divine casters, and animals get agitated and aggressive when near a cambion, and will not approach more than 5 ft. If the cambion gets any closer to an animal, the animal attacks him.
- Ebon Eyes: a cambion can see in complete darkness, even magical darkness, up to 60ft.
- Darkness: a cambion prefers to strike from the cover of darkness. He can cast darkness as a spell-like ability, a number of times per day equal to 1 + his Cha bonus (min 1).
- The Gift: a cambion’s supernatural heritage grants him the ability to manipulate magic innately. He may use Touch of Fatigue as a spell-like ability at will (caster level equal to character’s level, DC equal to 10 + half your level + Cha mod), and gains a +1 morale bonus to attacks, skills or ability checks for 1 min whenever a target fails its save against it. He can develop his powers as a Sorcerer with the Abyssal, Daemon, Infernal, Oni or Rakshasa bloodlines; his Cha counts as being 2 points higher for purposes of spell DCs and spells per day, and he gains an extra spell known at each spell level that must either be necromancy, enchantment, a personal transmutation, or any spell with the [evil] descriptor.
- Death Knell: a cambion can feed on the life force of a dying creature. He can use death knell (caster level equal to character’s level, and DC equal to 10 + half your level + Cha mod) as a supernatural ability at will. Each successful casting gives the cambion temporary HP, strength and an increase in caster level, which are cumulative with further castings.
- Evil Urges: evil thoughts of murder and suffering fill a cambion’s mind. Every time a cambion gets angry, he must roll a Will save DC 15 or must attack the target of his anger (at least one attack that would deal lethal damage). The same applies whenever a helpless target (even an ally) is within reach: he must succeed on a Will save or deliver a coup de grace or use death knell. Whenever he is hit in combat, he must roll a Will save DC 18 to disengage from that enemy or he must keep attacking until it is not only unconscious but definitely dead (using his death knell ability, if possible).
- Fiendish Trait: cambions possess unnatural physiology and senses. You have one racial trait from the list of tiefling normal or alternate racial traits. You count as a tiefling for purposes of game prerequisites, and can take appropriate feats. If any of your traits results in a unnatural appearance, you take a -5 penalty on disguise checks to avoid its detection.