Class: Ardent
The Ardent
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psionics | |||||
| Level | Special | Qi | Disciplines | Max Grade | Powers Known |
| 1 | Collective | 2 | 1 | Devotion | 3 |
| 2 | Mantle | 2 | 1 | Devotion | 4 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | Devotion | 5 | |
| 4 | Mantle | 3 | 2 | Devotion | 6 |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | Devotion | 7 | |
| 6 | Mantle | 4 | 2 | Devotion | 8 |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | Devotion | 9 | |
| 8 | Mantle | 5 | 3 | Science | 11 |
| 9 | 6 | 3 | Science | 12 | |
| 10 | Ardent Talent | 6 | 3 | Science | 13 |
| 11 | 7 | 4 | Science | 14 | |
| 12 | Ardent Talent | 7 | 4 | Science | 15 |
| 13 | 8 | 4 | Science | 16 | |
| 14 | Ardent Talent | 8 | 4 | Science | 17 |
| 15 | 9 | 5 | Science | 19 | |
| 16 | Ardent Talent | 9 | 5 | Art | 20 |
| 17 | 10 | 5 | Art | 21 | |
| 18 | Ardent Talent | 10 | 5 | Art | 22 |
| 19 | 11 | 6 | Art | 23 | |
| 20 | Ardent Talent | 11 | 6 | Art | 24 |
Ardent
- "I feel... everything."
Hold on to your butts, this is gonna be a bit weird.
So this is modeled loosely after the 4e version of this class, which was a massive departure from the original ardent released during the 3.5 part of d20's run. What that means is that this class has a super weird pedigree.
The ardent is the psionics alt caster. That means that they are a primary caster, slowed down a little compared to the primary, but get an interesting set of abilities to play with that make up for it. We see this in the successful alt casters: bards have music, greasemonkeys have vehicles, callers have summons, incarnates have their transformation deal.
The ardent's flavor is emotion - so where a psionicist is all about being think-y, the ardent is about being feel-y. They use powers, but the route is different, and they can mess explicitly with emotions in a way that the psionic disciplines can't. Because emotions are a lot more fundamental to sentients, ardents can "connect" with people on a significantly deeper level than other manifesters: they can form a subconscious bond with them, forming a collective, which then lets them do stuff.
However, this bond can also be used offensively, so... yeah, I think I see where I'm going with this now.
...and suddenly I don't like the term "PP." Bear with me.
Game Rule Information
Ardents have the following game statistics.
Force Alignment: Psionics.
Force Resistances: SR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.
Abilities: Depending on her selection of disciplines, the ardent can rely on a variety of abilities.
Hit Points at 1st Level: 5 + Con score.
Hit Points at Each Additional Level: 5 + Con modifier.
Healing Surges: 6 + Con modifier.
Defenses: Fort +2; Ref +0; Will +2; Det +4.
Starting Age: Simple.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the akashic.
Proficiencies
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Weapons: Any three.
Armor: Light, mystic.
Implements: Dorjes, orbs.
Psionics
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Ardents are manifesters, and as such make use of powers, applications of mental power to create effects in the physical world.
To use powers, an ardent must first make a manifestation check. In addition, ardents have a reservoir of qi they can tap into to amplify their abilities.
Psionic Disciplines
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Discipline | Ability | Description | Base Power |
| Clairsentience | Per | Information gathering, foresight, ability to glean knowledge in unusual ways. | precognition |
| Imagiportation | Dex | Travel and propel objects through space and time. | teleport |
| Metacreativity | Cha | Crafts metaphysical ideas into physical objects. | telefab |
| Psychokinesis | Int | Manipulates real objects at a distance, energy manipulation. | telekinesis |
| Ratiovitality | Con | Mental control over the body, shaping it as you choose. | biofeedback |
| Telepathy | Wis | Communicate with others nonverbally, probe the minds of others. | telepathy |
You can use, or manifest, any power you know, at will. To do so, you must make a manifestation check. This is a d20, and you gain a bonus for each power of that discipline you know, equal to the highest grade of that power you know (so +1 for each Devotion, +2 for each Science, +3 for each Art, and so on). If this check fails, you fail to use the power, but suffer no other penalties.
When you use a power, if you have qi, you can choose to spend some on the power. The most qi you can spend on a power is equal to one-half your class level, rounded down, to a minimum of 1. Most powers have augmentations you can spend qi on to improve them in some fashion. In addition, if you spend at least 1 qi on a power, you automatically succeed at the manifestation check to manifest the power.
Your qi replenishes slowly. You regain all of your spent qi after a long rest.
Power Stats by Grade
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|---|---|---|
| Grade | Minimum Primary Ability | Manifestation Check DC |
| Devotion | 11 | 13 |
| Science | 14 | 16 |
| Art | 17 | 19 |
| Opus | 19 | 25 |
To use a given power, the ardent must meet the minimum Wisdom score for that grade, as per the table on the right.
The ardent begins with three "powers known" slots. A power known has two possible uses: she can gain knowledge of a new power of any discipline she can access, as a devotion; or, she can improve her understanding of a power she already knows, and improve its grade by one (from devotion, to science, to art); however, she cannot improve her knowledge of a power beyond the max grade, per the class table. She gains knowledge of additional powers each level, as per the class table, above. At fourth level and every four levels after, she can trade out up to two devotion powers she knows (or reduce the grade of a power she knows) for either new powers, or to improve the grade of powers she already knows.
If you would gain access to a discipline, you can choose to instead gain a bonus feat, which must be a feat for which you qualify. If you would gain access to a discipline and already have access to six disciplines, you gain a bonus feat instead.
The ardent's key ability for her psionic attacks is the key ability modifier for the power's discipline.
