Test Page 8

The Trainer
						Memetics
Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Memes Known	Belief-Space
1	+0	+0	+1	+1	Control Creature, Train Creature, Memento, Quick Draw	2	1
2	+1	+0	+2	+2	Trainer's Secret	3	1
3	+2	+1	+2	+2		3	2
4	+3	+1	+2	+2	Trainer's Secret	4	2
5	+3	+1	+3	+3		5	2
6	+4	+2	+3	+3	Trainer's Secret	5	2
7	+5	+2	+4	+4		6	3
8	+6/+1	+2	+4	+4	Trainer's Secret	7	3
9	+6/+1	+3	+4	+4		7	3
10	+7/+2	+3	+5	+5	Trainer Talent	8	3
11	+8/+3	+3	+5	+5		9	4
12	+9/+4	+4	+6	+6	Trainer Talent	9	4
13	+9/+4	+4	+6	+6		10	4
14	+10/+5	+4	+6	+6	Trainer Talent	11	4
15	+11/+6/+1	+5	+7	+7		11	5
16	+12/+7/+2	+5	+7	+7	Trainer Talent	12	5
17	+12/+7/+2	+5	+8	+8		13	5
18	+13/+8/+3	+6	+8	+8	Trainer Talent	13	5
19	+14/+9/+4	+6	+8	+8		14	6
20	+15/+10/+5	+6	+9	+9	Trainer Talent	15	6

 

Trainer

Ashe'cathari, iconic trainer

"Shorts are comfy and easy to wear. Let's fight!"

The world of Trinity is a dangerous place. Some, such as the commonfolk, rely upon their well-trained members of their society to defend them from attackers; others are those defenders themselves. However, some societies lack the comfort of walls or homes, always on the move. Halflings, selkies, and even lunari often find themselves almost always on the move or lacking stable fortifications. While the more aged among their people may be able to fend off an attack, their children are not always so able. Thus: the trainer.

In times past, when the halflings were under attack from prophet moths, they sought a manner of assistance from the gnomes. The gnomes gifted them with knowledge of the blue, of learning to use the abilities of monsters. However, this was ill-suited for the halflings' intentions: they needed a weapon, easily wielded, with which they could arm their children. Taking the lessons taught to them from the gnomes, however, the halflings devised a new idea: rather than learn the abilities of monsters, capture the monsters themselves, and ensure that they could only fight what they were directed to.

The halflings devised a new method of interacting with the blue, which they called meme crystals - small items that were capable of storing a creature or item in the world's memory, such that it could be summoned back at any time. They then began capturing small monsters of Sarteri and training them, then giving the meme crystals in which the creatures were stored to children, instructing them to only use them in dire need. As they grew older, the children were taught the ways of the gun, and passed their meme crystals on to the children that came after them.

Some halflings, however, decided not to become gunslingers, and instead focused on raising the monsters they had been gifted with. Through trial and error, they determined that some creatures were better-suited to some abilities; they devised a basic understanding of genetics, and began breeding creatures to attain desired traits: small, but ferocious, with unalarming appearances so that children would not be frightened to use the creatures.

Centuries have passed since then, and trainers are still relatively rare - but not unheard of. The way of the trainer has spread throughout the world, and though it is often thought of as the path of cowards, it is a welcome relief to those who must fight but have no formal training.

Game Rule Information

Trainers have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Blue.

Force Resistances: TO 5 + level, CO 5 + level.

Abilities: Dexterity is important to a trainer, as - in order to capture new creatures - they must be agile enough to accurately throw a meme crystal. Charisma is also important, as a more powerful personality allows them to more successfully exert control over creatures.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills: The trainer’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Initiative (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Per), Memecraft (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Research (Edu), Search (Per), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Per), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int) × 4.

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int.

Ethos: Any.

Starting Age: Simple.

Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10gp.

Favored By: None.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the trainer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Trainers are proficient with all simple weapons, nets, bolas, boomerangs, harpoons, shuriken, and whips. Trainers have proficiency with light armor, but not with shields.

Trainers can use any bludgeoning weapon with which they are proficient to inflict subdual damage without suffering penalties to attack rolls for doing so.

Trainers are also proficient with meme crystals (see below).

Memes (Me): A trainer has access to memes, knowledge gleaned from world memory. Unlike other memeticists, the trainer does not use her memes directly; instead, these are creature abilities that she has learned completely, such that she can train other creatures to use them.

Trainers can only learn memes with the [technic] descriptor.

At 4th level, and every four levels after, the trainer can retrain her memes, trading out up to two memes she knows for two other memes.

Belief-Space (Me): A trainer utilizes belief-space to assist her in controlling her creatures. In order to control a creature, she must dedicate some of her memetic belief to it, to fully bring the creature from the world memory back into the real world.

A trainer gains bonus belief-space based on her Charisma; she gains an additional belief-space at 5th and every four levels thereafter, up to her Charisma modifier.

A trainer can change her belief-space allocation after a night's rest.

Control Creature (Bl): By exerting her belief on a meme crystal, a learner can control the creature held within.

On each of her turns, the trainer can expend a move action to direct the actions of a controlled creature. If she does so, the controlled creature behaves like a summoned monster, until the start of her next turn; if she does not, the creature will defend itself but otherwise take no action, and an uncontrolled bloodied creature will retreat if possible. A trainer cannot control a creature whose level is greater than her memeticist level. An uncontrolled creature will act independently once released, until returned to its meme crystal.

Due to this being a memetic effect, the trainer can issue complex commands to a controlled creature without the need for a shared language. However, the trainer cannot actually communicate with the creature.

Releasing a creature from a meme crystal is a standard action, and the creature appears in an unoccupied square adjacent to the trainer. A trainer can return a creature to its meme crystal by touching the meme crystal to the creature: if the creature is within the trainer's reach, this is a move action, otherwise the meme crystal can be thrown at the creature as a standard action (in such an instance, the trainer automatically hits the creature's AC if the creature is currently controlled, but may miss due to concealment or other factors; the trainer must roll to hit an uncontrolled creature normally).

Applying the controlled condition to a creature in a meme crystal requires one belief-space.

Memento: A trainer fresh from their instruction is often gifted with a memento, a relatively rare, well-bred creature. A trainer may choose a memento from this list. The memento is already contained within a meme crystal.

A character who multiclasses into the trainer class does not gain the benefits of this class feature.

Train Creature (Bl): A trainer can imbue her known memes into creatures she has controlled, allowing the creature to make use of the ability.

The creature and the meme to be taught must be compatible (that is, the meme must be on one of the creature's technic lists). If the meme and the creature are compatible, the trainer must spend one day teaching the creature the meme. If the creature has reached its maximum number of technics known, the trainer must choose one technic for the creature to forget (note that some creatures have technics with the [innate] descriptor, which cannot be forgotten in this manner).

A creature can only have a single copy of a given ability on its technic list.

In addition, a trainer can improve a memento's abilities, increasing its level in its role. A trainer must spend one day training the memento, at the end of which the memento gains a level. A memento cannot have more levels than the trainer's memeticist level.

Quick Draw (Ex): A trainer gains the Quick Draw feat at first level.

Trainer's Secret: At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter until 10th, the trainer gains insight into the handling of creatures and the art of training. Choose one of the following abilities; unless otherwise noted, each ability can only be taken once.

• Craft Meme Crystal (Bl): The trainer becomes capable of crafting his own meme crystals. Constructing a meme crystal requires one hour and supplies worth 100 gp; a meme crystal is considered a Blue item for purposes of force resistance. A meme crystal is used as a thrown weapon, and is treated as a ranged touch attack, with a range of 20 feet; if it hits, the creature takes 1 point of subdual damage per trainer level of the character who constructed it. If this damage is enough to knock the creature unconscious, it is captured by the meme crystal. Once a meme crystal has captured a creature, the meme crystal takes a mental "snapshot" of the creature, before it is sent into the Blue; this is so that, when the meme crystal is activated once more, it is able to retrieve the creature from the world memory. This information becomes imprinted into the meme crystal when it first captures a creature; once a meme crystal is imprinted, it cannot be used to store a different creature. A meme crystal is incapable of capturing creatures that have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher - the imprinting process is too complicated to allow for a thinking being to be imprinted. In addition, a meme crystal is also incapable of capturing a creature that has already been imprinted into a meme crystal: the method by which the meme crystal retrieves a creature from world memory makes it impossible for two objects to both refer to the same creature in memory.
  • Craft Improved Meme Crystal (Bl): The trainer can construct an improved meme crystal. Such a meme crystal requires supplies costing 1000 gp. When an improved meme crystal strikes a creature, it deals 1d4 subdual damage for each trainer level of the trainer who built it. (Prerequisites: Craft Meme Crystal)
• Double Team (Ex): You can have up to two controlled creatures out of their meme crystals at once. On your turn, you can expend a standard action to command two creatures; if you only expend a move action, you can only command one creature, not both (though you can choose which creature you command when you do so).
  • Teamwork (Ex): Choose a Teamwork feat whose prerequisites you meet. When you have at least one controlled creature out of its meme crystal, you and all of your controlled creatures gain the benefit of that feat. You can take this secret multiple times; each time you do, you can choose a new feat. (Prerequisites: Double Team)
• Heal Creature (Me): A trainer can use the power of her memories to restore wounded creatures to a significantly healthier state. By spending a full round action, the trainer can heal one of her creatures for 25% of its maximum hit points, also causing the creature to expend a healing surge. Only a creature stored in a meme crystal can be healed in this fashion, and the trainer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + the trainer's Wisdom modifier.
  • Revive Creature (Me): You can revive a creature that has died. Doing so requires that you return the body to its meme crystal, and you must spend an hour concentrating. Once the revivification is complete, the creature cannot be recalled from its meme crystal for 24 hours. (Prerequisites: Heal Creature)
  • Soothing Healing (Me): When you heal a creature using heal creature, you also remove all negative status effects (except for the dead status) from the creature. (Prerequisites: Heal Creature)
• Wild Empathy (Bl): The trainer can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The trainer rolls 1d20 and adds her trainer level and her Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the trainer and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. The trainer can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.
  • Monster Talk (Me): The trainer becomes able to communicate directly with animals and plants, as though benefiting from permanent speak with animals and speak with plants effects.

Trainer Talent: At 10th level and every two levels thereafter, the trainer's knowledge of creatures and their interaction with the Blue improves. Choose one of the abilities below.

• Craft Advanced Meme Crystal (Bl): The trainer can craft a purer form of meme crystal, advanced meme crystals. Crafting an advanced meme crystal requires supplies costing 2500 gp to construct. When an advanced meme crystal strikes a creature, it deals 1d8/trainer level points of subdual damage, rather than 1/trainer level. (Prerequisites: Craft Improved Meme Crystal)
  • Craft Master Meme Crystal (Bl): The trainer can craft the purest form of meme crystal, a master meme crystal. Crafting a master meme crystal requires supplies costing 10000 gp to construct. A master meme crystal deals 10/trainer level points of subdual damage to a creature it strikes. (Prerequisites: Craft Advanced Meme Crystal)
• Into the Blue (Me): As a standard action, the trainer may store a meme crystal - holding a creature or not - in the Blue, just as meme crystals store creatures in the Blue. She must be holding the meme crystal in order to do so. A trainer may have a number of meme crystals stored in the Blue equal to her Intelligence modifier. A meme crystal stored this way can be recalled as a standard action; the trainer must have a free hand to do so.
  • Out of the Blue (Me): A trainer can recall a stored meme crystal as a free action. (Prerequisites: Into the Blue)
• More Secrets: You gain another ability from the trainer's secret list of your choice. You can take this talent multiple times.
• Triple Team: The trainer can simultaneously direct three creatures under her control. Issuing commands to three controlled creatures is a full-round action. (Prerequisites: Double Team)
  • Coordinated Tactics: You can issue commands to a single creature with a swift action; two creatures with a move action; and three creatures with a standard action. (Prerequisites: Triple Team)
• Feat: A trainer may take a bonus feat in place of a trainer talent.

Mementos

Base Statistics By Role
	Skirmisher	Brute	Sentinel	Lurker	Controller	Ravager
HD	d8	d10	d10	d8	d6	d6
AC	Level + 13	Level + 11	Level + 15	Level + 13	Level + 11	Level + 13
Touch AC	-1	-3	-6	-1	-1	-2
Flat AC	-3	-1	-1	-2	-1	-1
Fort	Avg	Good	Good	Poor	Poor	Avg
Ref	Good	Poor	Poor	Good	Avg	Avg
Will	Poor	Poor	Avg	Avg	Good	Avg
BAB	Avg	Good	Good	Avg	Poor	Avg
TAB	Avg	Poor	Avg	Good	Good	Good

You can purchase mementos from breeders.

...this formula was stupid, so it's gone now.

Also, now we need to start talking about other things.

Design Notes

While we used to use Frank's trainer class as a reasonable base, I think it's time to Trinity-ize this class and get some solid rules in for monster creation.

At the very least, I have three goals:

• Have a default chassis for pokemon level progression.
• Be able to convert pokemon to d20 monsters compatible with this system relatively quickly and on the fly.
• Be able to convert existing monsters into this system, so that we can avoid the clunky comparisons of a creature's CR to the trainer's level crap that plagued prior versions.

Technic Progression by Level
Level	Grade
1	Minor
2	Minor
3	Lesser
4	Lesser
5	Lesser
6	Lesser
7	Moderate
8	Moderate
9	Moderate
10	Moderate
11	Greater
12	Greater
13	Greater
14	Greater
15	Major
16	Major
17	Major
18	Major
19	Master
20	Master

Feats

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

 

EXPANSIVE IMAGINATION [Memetic]
You have a larger capacity for believing in ideas not your own.
Prerequisites: Powerful Memory.
Benefit: Gain one additional belief-space. You can take this feat multiple times; its effect stacks.

 

EXTRAORDINARY TALENT [Epic]
You are more talented than your experience would otherwise suggest.
Prerequisites: Character level 21st+.
Benefit: You gain a talent from the talent list of one of your classes.

 

POWERFUL MEMORY [Memetic]
You have a larger store of personal memory.
Prerequisites: Memeticist level 1st+.
Benefit: Gain 2 memory. You can take this feat multiple times; its effect stacks.