Revision as of 12:42, 18 February 2014

Caller

Rydia, iconic caller, calling Leviathan

"The world is not without voice. Let me share it with you."

They do things. It is relevant to figure out what they do to the story currently playing out in Trinity.

Other Classes: Oftentimes, callers see themselves in direct opposition to priests and paladins: individuals of those professions tie themselves spiritually to powers greater than they, though of Divine persuasions, while the caller binds her soul to powerful entities of Nature. Unlike them, however, the relationship between caller and patron is truly reciprocal and significantly more personal in nature, while Saints and Lucavi are significantly more distant from the mortal realm.

Callers consider shamans and druids brethren. At the same time, however, while druids and shamans rely upon the same sort of Natural power as callers, callers recognize that they are significantly closer to the source of those abilities than others; while shamans understand the flow of elemental energy at work behind the fabric of reality, callers are able to bring forth manifestations of creatures that dwell within those flows, and thus often feel the weight of the goals of Gaia herself much more keenly.

Game Rule Information

Callers have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Nature.

Force Resistances: DI 5 + level, VI 5 + level.

Abilities: Wisdom and Charisma are the caller's most important attributes. Wisdom improves her ability to manipulate nature through the gifts granted her by her patrons, and Charisma improves her ability to command more powerful aspects of her called creatures.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills: The Caller’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Naturecraft (Wis), Profession (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int.

Alignment: Any neutral.

Ethos: Green @ d10, and at least three ranks higher than either Black or Blue.

Starting Age: Simple.

Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10gp.

Favored By: None.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the caller.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Callers are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor, but not shields.

Geomancy (Ge): Caller geomancy suites are based upon the entities they can call upon. Thus, a caller who chooses Leviathan gains access to the Leviathan suite. In effect, callers' suites are very similar to priest's patron domains, except that the caller only has access to the gifts granted by those suites. Thus, caller geomancy suites are slightly larger, but are generally significantly smaller in size and scope than an equivalent suite gained by a shaman.

It is important to note, then, that because callers' suites are based on entities, rather than nature itself, the entities a caller has access to are the source of their geomancy: a caller who uses a Leviathan gift, for instance, is essentially channeling the power of the primal. However, because all of these entities are derived directly from Gaia, they have the same general principle: don't abuse it, or it will hurt.

Call (Ge): The caller's signature ability is the ability to call upon the presence of a specific entity, usually a Primal or an Eidolon, though it does not necessarily have to be such an entity. In general, a called creature - regardless of its true nature - is referred to as an eikon.

At first level, the caller chooses a single eikon from the list below. Upon choosing an entity, the caller forms a powerful bond with that entity, tying her soul to its existence. Due to the strength of this bond, a called eikon no longer suffers from many of the restrictions normal summoned creatures have: while treated as summoned creatures, they are not sent back to their home plane until reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to or greater than their Constitution score. In addition, due to its tie to its caller, an eikon can touch and attack creatures warded by protection from evil and similar effects that prevent contact with summoned creatures. In addition, the caller and the eikon can always understand each other, even if they do not share a language: their communication is on a spiritual level, and transcends language.

A caller can call one of her eikons in a ritual that takes 1 minute to perform. When summoned in this way, the eikon's hit points are unchanged from the last time it was dismissed or banished. The only exception to this is if the eikon was slain, in which case it returns with half its normal hit points.

Eikons do not heal naturally.

The eikon remains until dismissed by the caller (a standard action).

If the eikon is dismissed due to death, it cannot be called again until the following day.

The eikon cannot be dismissed by means of dispel magic or similar Force-cancelling effects, but Force effects such as dismissal and banishment work normally.

If the caller is unconscious, asleep, or killed, her eikon is immediately banished.

You cannot call an eikon if your current Stress towards that eikon's suite is greater than your Max Stress, and if your current Stress ever exceeds an eikon's suite's Max Stress while that eikon is called, the eikon is immediately banished, and cannot be called again until your current Stress is less than the Max Stress for that eikon's suite.

The eikon's Hit Dice, saving throws, skills, feats, and abilities are tied to the caller’s geomancer level and increase as the caller gains levels or otherwise increases her geomancer level.

As a caller gains levels, she gains the ability to choose new eikons (see Geomancy, above). A caller cannot have more than one eikon called at a time; if she calls a different eikon while she has an eikon called, the original eikon is dismissed as soon as the calling ritual is completed.

Convoke (Ge): While callers often prefer to call upon an eikon and have the creature at their side, they are also limited to only having one eikon manifested at a time; similarly, while manifested, an eikon is subject to the whims of the world, and such manifestations of these entities are often imperiled by the caller's adversaries. In such situations, the caller may find it advantageous to only call upon an eikon for a brief moment, in which the entity uses one of its abilities, then returns to whence it came. Such an action is known as convoking.

A caller can convoke any eikon that is counted amongst her patrons, except an eikon that is currently called (see Call, above). Convoking an eikon is a standard action. When you convoke an eikon, select one of its abilities that you have access to; the eikon appears where you direct, within Close range (25 feet + 5 feet/2 geomancer levels), and then uses the ability in a manner you direct, then disappears. As this is a manifestation of the true form of the eikon, and not the form that is called directly, the eikon is immune to damage or any other effects when it appears to use its convoked ability, and its disappearance cannot be prevented (except, possibly, through Epic means, though such entities tend to be resistant to even such powers). Because eikons are Natural and therefore not extraplanar, the caller can use this ability even in an area in which extraplanar travel is currently being prevented.

However, convocation comes at a price: unlike calling, it takes considerably more effort on the eikon's part to take part in a convocation. Thus, when a caller uses convoke, she accrues stress towards the convoked eikon's suite equal to the level at which she acquired the ability she chooses to convoke (thus, if you convoke an eikon and use its ability that you gained at 6th level, you accrue 6 stress toward that eikon's suite). Unlike gifts, you cannot convoke an eikon's ability if the Stress you would accrue would put you over your Max Stress for that eikon's suite.

Eikon Power (Na): At second level, and 4th, 6th, and 8th levels, the spiritual bond between the caller and her eikons begins to manifest itself in the caller herself, slowly changing her capabilities based upon the eikons she is bonded with.

Each eikon has a list of abilities associated with it. You can select one such ability from any eikon's list that you are bonded to. Alternatively, you can select a general ability from the list below.

• Beckon (Ge): Once per day, as a standard action, a caller can call her eidolon to her side. This functions as dimension door, using the caller’s geomancer level. When used, the eikon appears adjacent to the caller (or as close as possible if all adjacent spaces are occupied). If the eikon is out of range, the ability is wasted. You can take this ability multiple times; each time you do, you can use it an additional time per day.
  • Transposition: The caller can use her beckon ability to swap locations with her eikon. If it is larger than her, she can appear in any square occupied by the eikon. The eikon must occupy the square that was occupied by the caller if able, or as close as possible if it is not able. (Prerequisites: Beckon)
• Bond Senses (Na): The caller can, as a standard action, share the senses of her eikon, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything the eikon does. She can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to her caller level. There is no range to this effect, but the eikon and the caller must be on the same plane. The caller can end this effect as a free action.
• Life Link (Na): Whenever an eikon takes enough damage to cause it to be dismissed, the caller can sacrifice any number of hit points. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the eikon. This can prevent the eikon from being dismissed due to damage.
• Shield Ally: Whenever the caller is within her eikon's reach, the caller receives a +2 shield bonus to her Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on her saving throws. This bonus does not apply if the eikon is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.

Caller Talent: At 10th level and every two levels thereafter, the caller's understanding of her eikons and their nature improves. Choose one of the following abilities.

• Avatar (Ge): The caller's spiritual connection to her eikons is such that she can allow them to physically manifest through her, rather than manifesting a fragment of their power close to her. As a full-round action, she can use this ability for any eikon she is bonded to, even one she has currently called (though that eikon is immediately dismissed); at the end of that action, she is replaced bodily by an enhanced version of the eikon she has chosen, whose occupied squares must at least contain the caller's square(s). An avatar has additional abilities available to it that are not available to a caller's call and convoke abilities, and the eikon gains other additional benefits outlined in their description. This ability is incredibly draining on both caller and eikon, however, and thus the caller accrues 1 point of Stress towards the eikon's suite each round, and this ability can only be used once per day per bonded eikon. While this ability is active, the caller effectively does not exist, and thus cannot be targeted or affected in any way; durations of effects on her do not pass, but resume upon the end of this effect, and when the caller returns to existence, she does so in one of the eikon's squares, who is immediately dismissed at the end of this effect.
• Eikon Mastery: A caller can choose an additional eikon power ability in place of a talent.
• Feat: A caller can gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability.

Eikons and Suites

The following is a list of eikons, their abilities as relevant to callers, and their associated gift suites.

Eikon statistics, such as hit points, are usually listed with a bonus based upon level. This refers to the geomancer level of the caller making use of that eikon.

Titan

"I will crush you beneath my heel, mortal!"

Titan, in his Primal form, is an immense humanoid, made entirely of dense, cracked stone, with a warm yellow glow emanating from his core. When called by a caller, he is usually significantly smaller, but retains his rocky appearance.

...I feel like something about this table is mucking things up...

Feats

The following are a selection of feats that are relevant to callers.

Design Notes

Callers are a half-casting class. They are roughly equatable to technology's greasemonkey and the blue's trainer: they are a "pet"-based class. Unlike those two, however, callers retain some level of casting ability that does not directly pertain to their pet (greasemonkeys gain devices that are only usable via their vehicle; trainers learn memes, but cannot use them, only teach them to their mementos).

Callers exist somewhere between greasemonkeys, who typically have one vehicle, and trainers, who typically have a large collection of mementos to use (though limited to six at any one time). Callers have a smaller collection, capping at six, with only a possibility of one out at a time, but are able to use convoke to use the abilities of other entities they can call upon.

Using call summons forth a physical manifestation of the creature in question, which can use its abilities and assist in combat or other tasks. Convoke, however, only brings forth the creature for a moment, in which it uses a particular ability of some sort, then disappears back into the fabric of reality.

Called creatures - which vary, we'll get to that in a minute - have a set progression and a predefined set of abilities. In essence, much like a standard d20 summoner, the caller picks the one they want from their list, and brings it forth. Because of how these creatures operate in the lore, they cannot be altered by the caller. Callers effectively control these creatures directly, and they do not balk or otherwise disagree - they do as directed, due to the agreement between the caller and the creature summoned.

While typically callers would call upon primals directly, they can call upon eidolons, as well. While eidolons are not as powerful as primals, the difference is irrelevant, as no caller can actually fully call a primal - they always only gain control over a fraction of such entity's power. In general, it's safe to assume that the less powerful the entity, the more the caller can successfully call upon its power, meaning that seemingly "weak" calls are just as powerful as seemingly "strong" ones, because a caller can get more out of a "weaker" entity than a "stronger" one. Leviathan isn't going to fully manifest for you, puny mortal, but some tiny eidolon creature will totally give you everything its got, and more.

Hmm. Because caller's casting abilities are based upon their called creatures, that allows us to use that resource for all of their abilities. A lower-level caller will probably typically pick one thing and stick with it - call, convoke, or invoke gifts - while a higher-level caller will call one summon, convoke another, and use gifts from a third.

So: the notion here is that every callable creature has a set of abilities, which the caller can make use of at 1st level, then one every 3rd level (same as feat levels). The called creature is not limited in uses of these abilities, unless otherwise specifically noted, so can use them all the time, even if they replicate gifts. The called creature also has hit points and various combat stats and skills; the reason these abilities are unlimited is because it can "die," and be removed from the field.

Convoke basically lets the caller use one of the abilities from a callable creature without it being present; it shows up during the effect, uses the ability, then disappears. The advantage is that the effect just happens; the downside, though, is that the called creature considers this effectively an abuse, and thus convoking accrues stress towards the called creature's suite.

Using normal gifts from a creature's suite accrues stress as normal.

Eikon Design

Eikons are not designed using traditional d20 mechanisms; instead, they are designed using D&D 4e mechanics. While eikons have ability scores, which are necessary for interaction with the world at large, their abilities are largely independent of them; effects that modify their ability scores modify the affected score's dependent stats (thus, if you reduce an eikon's Strength score, its physical damage is reduced accordingly), but it must be noted that there is no direct correlation between an eikon's ability scores and what it is capable of. While this may initially seem nonsensical, realize that this is to reduce the overall workload on both the design end and the player end: 4e monsters are easy to run and manage.