Race: Esper
The concept of the Esper as presented here is (probably) the property of Square Enix. However, all Trinity-specific background and d20 mechanics are original.
Contents
Espers
- "Your mortal understanding of the arcane is no match for my own. You study magic; I am magic."
The first recorded appearance of an esper comes from the formation of the Lost, a massive desert covering the northeastern portion of Sarteri. An arcane duel of epic proportions leveled the once-temperate plains there, turning it into a lifeless wasteland. While many of the towns and villages in the region were destroyed, one village - straddling the Rynol River, the boundary-line of the destruction - survived. Its people, however, were changed, their bodies infused with arcane energy.
The elves studied the people of the village, which had been called Esperia, and concluded that the presence of so much arcane energy had caused them to undergo transformations, into something new. The elves called them "espers," in honor of their village, and the name stuck.
Since that time, espers have appeared in lands where magic saturates the very earth itself. Centuries of usage of magic in a region gradually strengthen magic's hold on it, weakening the very laws of physics, and giving rise to the potential for its inhabitants to turn into espers. Almost any race has the potential to yield espers from their number, and there is no known way to foretell if a creature will be an esper: there are warning signs, but only when a given individual reaches the age of maturity does their esper nature make its presence known.
Espers make up a very small minority in the world of Trinity, but their small numbers by no means indicate their impact on the world around them. They are symbolic of the strength of magic, and its ability to overcome the very laws of physics and biology. They are an assurance that, no matter how strong the other Forces of the Trinity of Reality may be, magic is here to stay.
Personality: Erratic and prone to thinking outside the box, espers are not a race to be trifled with. They have a tendency to be free-thinkers and somewhat chaotic in their approaches to life, often refusing to follow rigid structure and instead go their own way. Their innate ability to bend the world to their will tends to make them seem arrogant to others. Some espers grow to appreciate their abilities and not use them frivolously; however, most will use any excuse to make a show of their power. A large number of espers also tend to be individualistic, preferring to work alone rather than with others.
Vital Statistics
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aging Effects | ||||||||
| Middle Age | Old | Venerable | Max Age | |||||
| Age | +2d12 years | +2d12+24 years | +4d12+48 years | +6d12+96 years | ||||
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ||||||||
| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier | |||||
| Male | As base creature | As base creature | ||||||
| Female | As base creature | As base creature | ||||||
Physical Description: As children, espers are largely unidentifiable, save that their hair may be an abnormal color - but even this is not a definite sign of an esper-to-be. Upon reaching puberty (for the appropriate age of their original race), however, the esper's body undergoes massive transformations. While in their "natural state" they retain roughly the same physical appearance of their native race, with wildly- and abnormally-colored hair and eyes and exaggerated features: one cannot mistake an esper for a normal member of their native race.
When under the effects of their arcane transformation, they take on an entirely new appearance, oftentimes appearing to resemble some sort of mythological beast, though some espers retain a roughly humanoid form, if completely unique from their native state.
Regardless of their parent races, espers can breed with one another. The resulting offspring are sometimes referred to as "true espers." Such individuals always appear to be in the throes of their arcane transformation, and have no "natural state."
Ethos: Espers vary wildly in their personal beliefs. In general, they tend to cluster their beliefs in Red, Blue, or Green, sometimes mixing two or even all three into a belief structure that puts clever thinking, personal freedom, and the gut instinct above all else. Espers are mixed, as a race, in terms of ethics, and generally lack a unified racial ethos, given that they lack a single, unified culture.
- Up to here has been edited.
Esper Lands: Espers have no lands to call home; there are not enough to even warrant a small city if they all gathered in one place, and they have no racial homeland. Espers settle where their parent race did; if that place is not acceptable, they will move on to a nation that at least tolerates the existence of magic.
Religion: Espers almost universally worship the Eidolons; however, they see them more as role models than as actual deities, and many espers aspire to be counted among the ranks of the Eidolons.
Language: With a natural understanding of magic comes a natural understanding of the language of magic - espers who have reached maturity suddenly gain the linguistic skills of a mage who has studied the Arcanic language for years. Beyond that, espers retain the languages they grew up learning.
Names: Espers will sometimes carry their original name, which is wholly dependent on their parent race. However, upon maturity, some espers choose a new name for themselves, that fits their new form.
Male Names: Alexander, Ark, Bahamut, Carbunkle, Ifrit, Kazahuya, Leviathan, Palidor, Ramuh, Terrato.
Female Names: Asura, Eden, Isis, Kirin, Maduin, Phoenix, Terra, Shiva, Sylph.
Adventurers: Espers - being a rarity in the world - often traverse Trinity to gather a more thorough understanding of themselves and of the power they wield. Only through attaining arcane power can they gain a more complete understanding of themselves, and so many espers become adventurers.
Esper Racial Traits (d20)
"Esper" is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal humanoid or monstrous humanoid without racial spell resistance.
An esper loses all of their racial abilities from their base race save for size, and instead uses the abilities below. So-called "true espers" consider their parent race to be Medium in size.
- -2 Con, +2 Int, +4 Cha. Espers are not physically hardy, but are intellectually quick, and often have a powerful and commanding presence.
- Size equal to parent race's size.
- Elemental: Espers are elementals, not humanoids. As such, they are not affected by spells or effects that normally only affect humanoids. Unlike other elementals, however, they are subject to critical hits and flanking, and they eat, sleep, and breathe normally.
- Espers have a base move rate equal to parent race's base move rate.
- Espers have darkvision with a base of 60 feet.
- Innate Spell (Sp): At 1st level, an esper chooses a single arcane spell or artificer infusion of 1st level. The esper can cast this spell at will, though doing so deals 1 point of damage to the esper; this damage cannot be prevented by any means. Your caster level with this effect is equal to your character level. By drawing on their essence, an esper can effect change on the world.
- Resistances (Ex): Espers have PR and TR equal to their level. These resistances overlap (do not stack) with resistances gained due to class.
- Dispel Vulnerability (Ex): If an esper is the target of a targeted dispel magic or similar effect, she takes 1d6/caster level points of damage in addition to the spell's normal effects; if the effect allows a save, the esper suffers only half damage on a successful save. If she is within the radius of such an effect but is not specifically targeted by it, she instead takes 1d4/caster level points of damage (with a successful save against the effect negating the damage). An esper that is within the radius of a disjoining effect (such as mage's disjunction) must make the effect's saving throw or else die; if the effect does not allow a saving throw, the esper may make a Will save against what the spell's DC would be. Espers are partially magic, and effects that disrupt magic disrupt her very being.
- Living Arcana (Sp): Instead of using a spell slot to cast an arcane spell or artificer infusion, the esper may instead take an amount of damage equal to double the spell or infusion's level plus one (so 0-level spells deal 2 points of damage); this damage cannot be prevented by any means. Espers are partially made of magic, and they can shape this into spells, though it requires some of their own life force. Casting an epic arcane spell in this manner deals an amount of damage equal to double the spell's Spellcraft DC to cast.
- Arcane Healing (Sp): As a standard action, an esper may expend a spell slot or artificer infusion to heal herself. Doing so heals 1d4+1/spell level points of damage (0-level spells heal 1d4 points). Alternatively, the esper may use a warlock invocation to heal herself; if she does, she gains fast healing for a number of rounds equal to the invocation's equivalent spell level, and loses access to that invocation for one hour per point of fast healing granted. The amount of fast healing gained is dependant upon the invocation used for this ability: a least invocation grants fast healing 1; a lesser grants fast healing 2; a greater grants fast healing 3; and a dark grants fast healing 5.
- Arcane Transformation (Sp): Summoning all of their internal arcane power, an esper can temporarily transform into a living expression of arcane power - either a living spell, or enter their esper form. An esper can use this ability once per day, plus an additional time per five levels (so 2/day at 5th, 3/day at 10th, and so on). Any damage suffered while in these alternate forms is transferred to the esper after the transformation ends.
- Living Spell: When the esper uses this ability, she chooses a single arcane spell (or infusion, if she is an artificer; or invocation, if she is a warlock) she knows, which is the spell she turns into. This transformation lasts for 1 round per character level.
- Esper Form: At first level, an esper chooses a cleric domain; this is the "theme" that her esper form follows. The esper may dictate the appearance of her esper form, but once chosen, this cannot be changed. Upon entering the esper form, the esper's ability scores and other abilities change to those of her esper form; while in esper form, she cannot access any of her normal abilities. This transformation lasts for 1 round per character level. (Meta: The esper form essentially follows the same rules as creating a monster class, using the esper's chosen theme as a foundation for constructing the class. As such, each esper's esper form is unique.)
- Automatic Languages: As per parent race.
- Favored Class: Choose one - artificer, sorcerer, warlock, wizard.
- LA: +1. Remember that LA can be bought off.
Esper Paragon (d20 Class)
Some espers focus their learning on their own nature, rather than learning standard arcana. These espers become esper paragons.
ESPER PARAGON Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells/Day 1 +0 +0 +1 +2 Detect Magic +1 arcane spellcaster level 2 +1 +0 +2 +3 Special Ability - 3 +1 +1 +2 +3 Ability Boost (Cha +2) +1 arcane spellcaster level
Game Rule Information
Esper paragons have the following game statistics.
Force Alignment: Magic.
Force Resistances: PR 5 + level, TR 5 + level.
Abilities: Intelligence and Charisma are most important for an esper paragon, as these are the abilities that most arcane spellcasting classes uses.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills: The esper paragon's class skills are Concentration (Con), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 2 + Int.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Age: As per rogue.
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 gp.
Class Features
The following are the class features of the esper paragon class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Esper paragons are not proficient with any weapons or armor.
Spells per Day: At 1st and 3rd level, an esper paragon gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a previous arcane spellcasting class (artificer, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard). She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus metamagic feats, and so on).
If an esper paragon has no levels in an appropriate class, this class feature has no effect.
Detect Magic (Su): At 1st level, an esper paragon can always see magical auras, as though she had cast detect magic.
Special Ability: At 2nd level, an esper paragon gains one of the following abilities.
- Arcane Bolt (Sp): The esper paragon gains the ability to emit her arcane power as a raw bolt of energy; to do so, she must expend a spell slot. Such a bolt is a ranged touch attack with a range of Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/character level) and deals 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6/level of the spell slot expended.
- Arcane Halo (Sp): The esper paragon gains the ability to call upon her inherent power and shield herself from attack; to do so, she must expend a spell slot. For one round per paragon level, she gains one of the following benefits: DR (/magic) equal to the spell level of the slot expended; fast healing equal to the spell level of the slot expended; or SR equal to 10 + the spell level of the slot expended.
Ability Boost (Ex): At 3rd level, an esper paragon's Charisma score increases by 2 points.
