Endless Blue - Week 31 - Xanthellaette, Coral Shapers of the Chelon Reefs

Sociology

Xanthellaette -- Coral Shapers of the Chelon Reefs

Invisible lacework criss-crosses the sea beds of Elqua's many bodies of water, palpably pulsing with life energies that feed the basic foundations of oceanic ecology and tying together every living thing.  The xanthellae are the chosen ones charged with keeping that primal circulatory system hale and healthy, free of the parasitical feeding of less astute races.  Their role as protector grants them access to the pulse of the Source, and by dipping into the eldritch power that shoots through the silt they can employ coral like clay.

Adventurers: The worth of a coral shaper is dependent on the proximity of a ley line, one of the ephemeral strands of sustenance that the metaphysical world lives on.  This requires the xanthellaette to be touching the ground in order to draw energy -- called "tapping into" -- from the network of global essence.

Alignment: Only through diligent study and meticulous research can new spells be discovered by a xanthellaette; on the other hand it is intuition that guides them to the network of ley lines and instinct that urges them to tap into the raw power therein.  Consequently, coral shapers tend to remain neutral, with the variation of belief expressing itself through acts of kindness or cruelty.

Xantellaettes in the Known World
Self-appointed and self-aggrandizing, xanthellaettes see themselves as the moral superiors to the other races, placing reverence of nature over that of social or economic progress.  The hypocrisy of this stand is lost on their deluded culture, but the evidence of their ability to make vital coral malleable to their will is unchallenged.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Xanthellaettes have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Any xanthellaette will tell you they excel at their craft due to high Intelligence, which not only grants them bonus spells but also heightens their skills at coral shaping and locating the latticework of ley lines that lace the sea floor.  Though they will claim intelligence is all they need, they gain secondary bonuses to skills from Wisdom and Dexterity.

Race: It is unheard of for any race, civilized or primitive, other than Chelon becoming xanthellaettes, yet there is no intrinsic reason for this.  The ability to sense ley lines seems to only be found in Chelon, but this ability is observably learned by the coral shaper and is not innate to his race.  This, coupled with the natural racism all Chelon exhibit, has kept the art of xanthellae isolated to the dwindling Chelonite population.

Alignment: Coral shapers tend to be neutral on the law/chaos axis, but vary widely in terms of good or evil.
Hit Dice: d4.
Starting Funds: 4d6 gp.

CLASS SKILLS
The xanthellaette's class skills (and key ability for each) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Craft (coralshaping) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Intelligence modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are the xanthellaette's class features.

Xanthellaette Class Abilities Chart

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feats	Spells per Day*
1	+0	+0	+0	+0	Spells, Ley Locating, Ley Cartography, Ley Line Tapping, Coral Shaping	1
2	+1	+0	+0	+0		2
3	+1	+1	+1	+1		2/1
4	+2	+1	+1	+1	Coral Shaping Mastery	3/2
5	+2	+2	+2	+2		3/2/1
6	+3	+2	+2	+2		3/3/2
7	+3	+3	+3	+3	Coral Casting	4/3/2/1
8	+4	+3	+3	+3		4/3/3/2
9	+4	+4	+4	+4		4/4/3/2/1
10	+5	+4	+4	+4	Bonus Feat	4/4/3/3/2
11	+5	+5	+5	+5		4/4/4/3/2/1
12	+6/+1	+5	+5	+5		4/4/4/3/3/2
13	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6		4/4/4/4/3/2/1
14	+7/+2	+6	+6	+6		4/4/4/4/3/3/2
15	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Bonus Feat	4/4/4/4/4/3/2/1
16	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7		4/4/4/4/4/3/3/2
17	+8/+3	+8	+8	+8		4/4/4/4/4/4/3/2/1
18	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8		4/4/4/4/4/4/3/3/2
19	+9/+4	+9	+9	+9		4/4/4/4/4/4/4/3/3
20	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Bonus Feat	4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4

* -- Add the appropriate number of doses for bonus spells due to high Intelligence when they first become accessible.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The xanthellaette is proficient in all simple weapons, but no armor.  Wearing of any armor impinges on the connection between the xanthellaette and the ley line he is tapping into, and such interference can cause spellcasting to fail on par with the armor's % Arcane Failure rating.

Spells: Xanthellaette magic stems from the life energies of the world, the pulse of the Source.  As such, it expresses qualities of both arcane and divine magic at once.  By default the coral shaper has a daily alotment of spells he can cast must memorize which spells he want to use before hand.  However, when in the presence of their divinity (i.e., when on a ley line), they can commune with the spirituality of their world and tap into the life of the Source, using its life force to cast spells spontaneously. Xanthellae, this hybrid form of magic, involves direct manipulation of mystic energies drawn from a divine force to alter the coral that serves as the foundation of most ecological biomes.

In order to learn, prepare, or cast a xanthellae spell, the coral shaper needs to have an Intelligence score of at least 10 plus the level of the spell being cast.  The saving throw against such xanthellae magic is 10 + spell level + the coral shaper's Intelligence modifier.  Coral shapers do not have access to cantrips or orisons.
The spells available to a xanthellaette are limited by his level, and he is only allowed to cast a number of spells per level each day (unless tapping into a ley line).  The maximum number of spells allowed to have memorized is shown in the Class Ability Table above.  In addition to those, a coral shaper gains bonus spells per day if he possesses a high enough Intelligence score.

The number of spells a xanthellaette can know is practically unlimited, but the list to chose from is rather limitled -- they may choose from any spell on either the Cleric or Wizard spell lists, with the stipulation that the spell appears on both lists.  This results in a coral shaper able to access the same spell at different levels -- for example, remove curse is a 3rd level cleric spell and a 4th level spell for a wizard.  A xanthellette can choose either spell when the opportunity opens up, and may even take both.  This does take up two choices from the total number of spells known, but allows the coral shaper to cast the spell using both his 3rd level and 4th level slots (without the need for metamagic feats).  Xanthellaettes start knowing two 1st level spells and may learn a new spell of the indicated level (or lower) each time they gain a new class level, and maintain a spell book just as a wizard requires.

Ley Locating: Xanthellaettes can sense the flow of magic power through the world of Elqua, and can locate ley lines when within range.  They make a Spellcraft check at DC 20.  This roll gains a bonus equal to the xanthellaette's class levels, then modified negatively by the distance to the ley line in increments of 10 feet.  For example, a ley line 60 feet away would have a -6 penalty to the Spellcraft check.  Ley line location is very rare, and a coral shaper could go for hundreds of miles before sensing another ley line.

Ley Cartography: Knowledge of fresh ley lines and nexuses is the most jealously guarded secret for most xanthellaettes, perhaps more than their own spellbooks.  Xanthellaettes produce a series of ley maps as they explore the Known World and record their findings on foldable sheets of hide in the form of shallow relief maps.  This must be done by physically standing on the ley line itself and tapping into it.  Then, using minute invocations of coral shaping (at no spell level cost), a raised line forms on the map.  The line on the map follows the path of the ley line exactly, but to scale.  The length recorded is equal to one mile per level of the xanthellaette.  The coral shaper starts knowing the location of two ley lines, plus one for every point of the character's Int modifier.  These ley lines need not be local, but their location must be determined beforehand.

Ley Line Tapping: Once a coral shaper has located a ley line, he can tap into the energies running through a ley line much the same way farmers can tap into a plant and withdraw it's sap.  This takes a simple Spellcraft check at DC 20, modified by the purity of the ley line, made every time he wishes to call upon the puissant magic flowing within the line.

Communal (large communities built around them and tapped into constantly)                    -10
Developed (commonly known but not tapped into constantly)                                              -5
Robust (a few xanthellaettes know of it and have occassionally  tapped into it)                  0
Fresh (one or two coral shapers have found it and have rarely tapped it)                           +5
Pristine (newly discovered and never before tapped into)                                                    +10

Tapping into a ley line allows a coral shaper to use the world's life energies to create coral items (see coral shaping below), cast certain spells spontaneously, or even overcome the chance of arcane spell failure while wearing armor.

Coral Shaping: At first level, xanthellaettes tap into the connectivity of Elqua's ley lines and learn how to shape coral into physical objects.  By sacrificing an appropriate number of spell levels, a xanthellaette can use the Craft (coralshaping) skill to create physical solid items such as tools or weaponry, but not non-rigid things such as bows or antitoxins.  Use the chart in the Player's Handbook to determine the item's DC, then sacrifice the appropriate number of spell levels indicated below:

Craft DC Range	# of Spell Levels Needed
Up to 14	1
15-19	2
20-24	3
25+	4+

Increase the number of spell levels needed by one for every five full points of DC beyond 25.

Alternately, the coral shaper can dip directly into the power coursing through the ley line to provide the spell level energy instead of sacrificing his own spells.  He is not limited by the amount of energy he syphons in this manner, and many xanthellaette set up their shop along ley lines to take advantage of this easy supply of magic.

The speed of shaping coral is not as swift as other crafts, and each attempt takes a month of work instead of the standard week as the xanthellaette coaxes to coral polyps to grow in the appropriate directions.

Spontaneous Coral Casting: The following chart shows the list of spells a xanthellaette can cast using the magic of a ley line as the source of his power instead of his own daily allotment of spells.  These spells do not need to be memorized before hand, but the coral shaper must be of high enough level to be able to cast them.  In many ways, this is the equivalent of a Domain for their divine casting, but the spells cannot otherwise be cast unless the coral shaper is tapping into a ley line.

1st level - Entangle
2nd level - Spike Growth
3rd level - Meld into Stone
4th level - Evard's Black Tentacles
5th level - Wall of Stone
6th level - Flesh to Stone/Stone to Flesh
7th level - Statue
8th level - Iron Body
9th level - Meteor Swarm

The effect of these spells will be comprised of coral instead of rock or other material.  For example, entangle or Evard's black tentacles results in tendrils of coral erupting from the silt seabed, while statue or "coral body" produce the same effects, but are comprised of coral.

When at a ley nexus, the coral shaper can spontaneously cast maximized versions of the above spells.

Coral Shaping Mastery: At 4th level, xanthellaettes have developed sufficient skill in his coral shaping abilities to begin producing masterwork items.  This costs the coral shaper an additional number of spell levels equal the number required to make the item to begin with, and can be tapped from a ley line in place of sacrificing levels.

Coral Casting: At 7th level, a coral shaper wearing xanthellae armor can ignore the armor's inherent chance of arcane spell failure when casting spells while at a ley line.  This ability improves at 12th level to only require the coral shaper within a number of feet from a ley line equal to his class level.

Bonus Feat: Xanthellaettes gain a bonus feat at 10th level, and again every five levels there after (at 15th and 20th levels).

The Repercussions of Tapping into the Source

While it may be tempting to tap into ley lines to fuel all a xanthellaette's magic, the dark truth is every usage of the world's ley energies slowly depletes it.  Forcing coral growth in the coral shaper's proximity means coral elsewhere dies, and the more energy syphoned off, the greater the area of coral blight.  It is ironic that the champions self-appointed as the defenders of the coral reefs are themselves as guilty of destroying as they charge the other races.  Many of the greatest cities of the Chelon Seas' history died out more to overuse of xanthellae than the "debasement of ethics and morals" the Chelon blame on other races.

Blighted coral is brittle and dull, little more than a grey-ish crust than the vibrant life that healthy coral exudes.  Xanthellae items, armor, and weapons are not beyond becoming blighted, even if enchanted.  They will maintain any magical glamour placed upon them, but they will lose their artistic esthetic and the slow self-repair capabilities.

"Even Xanthellaette need to make a kerf in coral…"
-- an Elquan turn-of-phrase meaning
even the best need to get their hands dirty.

Endless Blue - Week 30 - The Ambusher, Guerilla Fighters of the Sargasso

Sociology

Ambusher -- Guerilla Fighters of the Sargasso

Some careers come fully formed out of sheer skill, while others are pure need.  Ambushers are a mix of both -- the desperate need to survive in a world utterly turned against them coupled with such raw potential honed to a perfect result.  No other class is so well suited to take advantage of their natural abilities to hide amongst the swaying foliage, only to suddenly turn around and become such a dangerous threat to unsuspecting prey.  Nothing is safe in the cool blue waters of Elqua, not when a whirling dervish of pain could erupt from any direction without so much as a ripple.

Adventurers: Minimalists are drawn to the ambusher's lifestyle, with few belongings to weigh them down.  The freedom from the metaphorical shackles of possessions gives them liberty few have ever truly known.  One part wanderlust, one part survivalist, and one part individualist, ambushers took their persecuted circumstances and remade themselves into testaments of resilience.

Alignment: Most ambushers are chaotic neutral, hoping on optical deception and quiet patience to guard them from danger but relying on quick reaction and random savagery to escape from the direst of situations.  The constant pressure of life on the run that served as the impetus for the ambusher lifestyle left little opportunity for long term planning or rigid, inflexible thinking.  Everything could, and often did, change at a moment's notice, and an ambusher must be able to react instinctively.

Ambushers in the Known World
After the fall of the Kraken Empire and the Known World's freedom from occupation, the degenerating kraken were hunted ruthlessly where ever they tried to hide.  These cleansing witch hunts ran rampant across the Maw, scattering the bewildered and abandoned overlords across the bodies of water. As the years went by and their own bodies mutated into the puny forms that we know today as the Ceph, they were forced to rely on their brute strength and physiognomy to survive.

Hiding among the kelp forests, employing their camouflage abilities to stay hidden most of the time, springing out to attack the isolated straggler or wandering monster, the ceph ambushers had to make every attack quick and every attack had to count.  Much of the current irrational fear of the Ruins of the Kraken Empire stems from the hide-and-strike tactics used by the near feral ceph in order to survive.  They appeared suddenly, as if through magic, only to disappear again in the blink of an eye.  Few ever survived these ambushers, and many who did still were not sure of what happened to them.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Ambushers have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Strength is the primary focus for an ambusher, allowing him to strike more accurately and then cause more damage.  Behind that would come Constitution for the raw, primal vitality of health a high Constitution entails, and then Dexterity for the boost in stealth.

Race: Only the lowly Ceph can become ambushers, as the class is practically a physical extension of their already existing potentiality.  Not even the Lumulans, with their vestigial extra arms, can achieve the manual dexterity or the astounding reach needed for multi-tentacled combat.

Alignment: Any non-lawful, though most are more concerned about simple survival than any existential debate over good vs. evil.  Ambushers have more in common with animals trying to survive another day than existential thinkers trying to rationalize their world view.
Hit Dice: d6.
Starting Funds: 2d4x5gp.

CLASS SKILLS
The ambusher's class skills (and key ability for each) are Climb (Str), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are the ambusher's class features.

Ambusher Class Abilities Chart

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feats	Extra Attacks
1	+1	+0	+0	+0	Unarmed Strike, Two-Armed Fighting	0/1
2	+2	+0	+0	+0	Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
3	+3	+1	+1	+1	Improved Unarmed Strike
4	+4	+1	+1	+1	Weapon Specialization(Unarmed Strike)
5	+5	+1	+1	+1	Flurry of Blow
6	+6/+1	+2	+2	+2	Multiattack	1/1
7	+7/+2	+2	+2	+2	Weapon Focus (Grapple)
8	+8/+3	+2	+2	+2	Four-Armed Fighting	1/2
9	+9/+4	+3	+3	+3	Weapon Specialization (Grapple)
10	+10/+5	+3	+3	+3	Ultra-camouflage
11	+11/+6/+1	+3	+3	+3	Improved Multiattack	2/2
12	+12/+7/+2	+4	+4	+4
13	+13/+8/+3	+4	+4	+4	Six-Armed Fighting	2/3
14	+14/+9/+4	+4	+4	+4
15	+15/+10/+5	+5	+5	+5
16	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+5	Supreme Multiattack	3/3
17	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+5
18	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+6	Eight-Armed Fighting	3/4
19	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+6
20	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+6

Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: Ambushers are proficient in all simple weapons and may wear any light armor.  Most of the classes' abilities are contingent on using unarmed attacks and therefore require empty "hands".

Hands vs. Tentacles

While it is easy to see that the Ceph have what we could equate with arms, they are lacking any obvious source of minute manipulation like other pisceans have evolved in the form of hands.  The ceph tentacle has its root at the base of the creature's body, extending about the length of a piscean arm (the actual length varies according to which of the three genotypes is in question, with the "cuttlefish" having the shortest arms and the "squid" having the longest) and tapers off to the tip.  Two of these eight tentacles end in a broad pad, and these serves as their hand, folding in half and wrapping around the item to be held.  These are their primary limbs, the equivalent to any other races arms, and it is with these arms that the fine, dexterous movements like writing are made.  Ceph still, like all other intelligent races, favor one arm over another.

Subsequent arms, with enough skill, can be used to wield items as well, but without the widened musculature at the tip they are only capable of wrapping primitively around an item.  Carrying delicate things or items that need to be kept stable requires either a Balance check or a raw Dexterity check to prevent them from becoming damaged (apply their Strength modifier as damage).  The use of the Multiattack feat or the Ambusher class features remove this drawback at a rate of one pair of tentacles with every application of the feat/class feature.

Unarmed Strike: Ambushers develop styles that allow them to cause extreme damage with every blow, or to minimize that damage so it can be shrugged off in a matter of hours.  At will, they can choose whether their unarmed blows cause lethal or subdual damage, with no penalty to attack or damage rolls.  They are still limited in dealing damage by the creature type being targetted, and cannot for example cause subdual damage to undead or constructs.

Two-Armed Fighting: An ambusher can fight unarmed with both arms, granting an additional attack each round with the off-hand arm at the standard penalty for off-hand attacks.  Treat this class ability like the Two-Weapon Fighting feat that only applies to unarmed strikes, resulting in -2 penalty for primary hand attacks and a -2 penalty for off-hand attacks.  This means an off-hand unarmed attack will always have the same bonus as the corresponding primary hand attack.  However, damage from successful attacks with the off hand arm only benefit from half of the ambusher's Strength modifier, rounded down.

Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike): As the feat Weapon Focus, the ambusher gains a +1 bonus on all unarmed attack rolls.

Improved Unarmed Strike: Ambushers become adept in all manners of unarmed combat.  They are able to use their empty arms as weapons, whipping and lashing at a target rapidly, and do not invoke an attack of opportunity when attacking unarmed.  This ability applies only to their unarmed attacks, and does not extend to any other weapons they employ, even monk weapons or attempts at grappling.

Weapon Specialization (Unarmed Strike): By 4th level, the ambusher is so adroit at attacking unarmed that he gains a +2 bonus on all damage rolls when attacking unarmed.  Ambushers are allowed to continue along the Weapon Focus/Specialization tree using feats gained at every three character levels (by taking Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization) as if they were fighters, but must still meet all other prerequisites.

Flurry of Blows: Similar to the Monk class ability, ambushers gain the skill to make a massive number of attacks at the cost of accuracy.  Upon reaching 5th level, when using the flurry of blows ability, all attacks that round suffer a -2 penalty (including off hand attacks) but gain an additional attack with their primary arm at their highest base attack bonus.  This penalty lasts for a whole round, until the ambusher's action the next round.  If the ambusher is allowed an attack of opportunity before that new round, it suffers the -2 penalty as well.  Unlike the Monk class ability, an ambusher's flurry of blows penalty does not alter as he gains levels in the class.  An ambusher may not make grapple attempts while using the flurry of blows class feature.

Mulitiattack: At 6th level an ambushers gain the ability to employ an additional pair of arms in combat.  This grants one additional attack with the primary hand, at the highest base attack bonus.  While this allows the usage of additional shields, the shield bonuses of concurrently used shield do not stack -- instead they only serve to givesthe ambusher protection on additional sides (i.e., with two shields, the ambusher would gain the shield bonus from attacks made from the direction of attack that has the shield between himself and the attacker: front, left, right, rear, above, or below).  The shield bonus applies to any attacks coming from the nine cubes on the same plane that the shield is facing.
          Further, every shield being used reduces the number of available off-hand attacks by one, starting with the least favorable one.

Weapon Focus (Grapple): This ability is the same as the Weapon Focus feat, and gives the ambusher a +1 attack bonus when trying to perform the grapple special action.

Four-Armed Fighting: As with Two-Armed Fighting, but this class feature grants an ambusher the ability to utilize an additional pair of arms in combat.  This equates into an additional attack each round with the off-hand arm at the second highest base attack bonus.  The standard penalty for off-hand attacks (attack and damage rolls) still apply.

An ambusher with this ability may employ it with the grapple action, allowing him to grapple with two arms, then attack with two others (assuming the grapple was not initiated with his final iterative attack).  The ambusher will get a single attack with both a primary arm and his off-hand arm at his current base attack bonus.

Weapon Specialization (Grapple): By 9th level, the ambusher's reflexes are so well honed in grappling that he gains a +2 bonus on all damage rolls when attempting a grapple.  This is essential identical to the Weapon Specialization feat.  Ambushers are allowed to continue along the Weapon Focus/Specialization tree using feats gained at every three character levels (by taking Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization) as if they were fighters, but must still meet all other prerequisites.

Ultra-camouflage: At 10th level, an ambusher has mastered his natural camouflage ability through intense practice and enhanced via dietary techniques discovered during their years foraging in the Ruins to rely less on chemicals that fluoresce in ultraviolet light.  When an ambusher is in the area of ultraviolet light and utilizing their camouflage ability, observers with ultravision must make a Spot check at a DC of 15 + the ambusher's levels in the ambusher character class to hope to spot the hidden ceph.

Improved Multiattack: An improved version of the Multiattack class feature that allows the use of an additional pair of arms.  The extra primary attack gained by this ability is at the second highest base attack bonus.  These ambushers can now use three shields at once, essentially improving their protection on three fronts but reducing the number of available off-hand attacks by one for each shield used (starting with the lowest bonus attack).

Six-Armed Fighting: As with Four-Armed Fighting, an ambusher can fight unarmed with an additional pair of arms (now three pairs).  This grants an additional attack each round with the off-hand arm at the third highest base attack bonus.  The standard penalty for off-hand attacks (attack and damage rolls) still apply.
An ambusher with this ability may employ it with the grapple action, allowing him to grapple with two arms, then attack with four others (assuming the grapple was not initiated with either of his two final iterative attacks)..  The ambusher will get a two attacks with both a primary arm and his off-hand arm -- the first at his current base attack bonus and the second with a -5 penalty to the attack roll.  If the character does not have enough iterative attacks to make both primary and secondary attacks, he may make as many as he can until his allotment for this round is exhausted.

Supreme Multiattack: As the improved multiattack and multiattack class feature before it, this ability allows an ambusher the use of yet another pair of additional arms (for a total of 4 pairs of arms) at their third highest base attack bonus.  Shields can be employed in four of the six directions, but for each shield so used, reduce the number of available off-hand attacks by one (starting with the lowest bonus).

Eight-Armed Fighting: As with Two-Armed Fighting, but an ambusher can fight unarmed with an fourth pair of arms (for a total of four pairs).  This grants an additional attack each round with the off-hand arm at the fourth highest base attack bonus.  The standard penalty for off-hand attacks (attack and damage rolls) still apply.

An ambusher with this ability may employ it with the grapple action, allowing him to grapple with two arms, then attack with six others (assuming the grapple was not initiated with his one of the three final iterative attacks)..  The ambusher will get a three attacks with both a primary arm and his off-hand arm -- the first at his current base attack bonus, the second with a -5 penalty to the attack roll, and the third with a -10 penalty.  If the character does not have enough iterative attacks to make all three primary and secondary attacks, he may make as many as he can until his allotment for this round is exhausted.

Table of Ambusher's Additional Unarmed Attacks

Level	Multiattack Tree (Primary Arm only)	Both Arms (Multiattack + # Armed Fighting)		Both Arms with Flurry of Blows
		Primary	Off-hand	Primary	Off-hand
1	+1	-1	-1	-	-
2	+2	0	0	-	-
3	+3	+1	+1	-	-
4	+4	+2	+2	-	-
5	+5	+3	+3	+1/+1	+1
6	+6/+6/+1	+4/+4/-1	+4	+2/+2/+2/-3	+2
7	+7/+7/+2	+5/+5/0	+5	+3/+3/+3/-2	+3
8	+8/+8/+3	+6/+6/+1	+6/+1	+4/+4/+4/-1	+4/-1
9	+9/+9/+4	+7/+7/+2	+7/+2	+5/+5/+5/0	+5/0
10	+10/+10/+5	+8/+8/+3	+8/+3	+6/+6/+6/+1	+6/+1
11	+11+11/+6/+6/+1	+9/+9/+4/+4/-1	+9/+4	+7/+7/+7/+2/+2/-3	+7/+2
12	+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	+10/+10/+5/+5/0	+10/+5	+8/+8/+8/+3/+3/-2	+8/+3
13	+13/+13/+8/+8/+3/+3	+11/+11/+6/+6/+1/+1	+11/+6/+1	+9/+9/+9/+4/+4/-1/-1	+9/+4/-1
14	+14/+14/+9/+9/+4/+4	+12/+12/+7/+7/+2/+2	+12/+7/+2	+10/+10/+10/+5/+5/0/0	+10/+5/0
15	+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5	+13/+13/+8/+8/+3/+3	+13/+8/+3	+11/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1/+1	+11/+6/+1
16	+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	+14/+14/+9/+9/+4/+4/-1	+14/+9/+4	+12/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2/+2/-3	+12/+7/+2
17	+17/+17/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5/0	+15/+10/+5	+13/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3/+3/-2	+13/+8/+3
18	+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3	+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	+16/+11/+6/+1	+14/+14/+14/+9/+9/+4/+4/-1	+14/+9/+4/-1
19	+19/+19/+14/+14/+9/+9/+4	+17/+17/+12/+12/+7/+7/+2	+17+12/+7/+2	+15/+15/+15/+10/+10/+5/+5/0	+15/+10/+5/0
20	+20/+20/+15/+15/+10/+10/+5	+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3	+18/+13/+8/+3	+16/+16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1	+16/+11/+6/+1

Note:  These numbers do not reflect bonuses given by Weapon Focus or Weapon Specialization class abilities/feats, nor those from a high Strength modifier.

"If not for our superior martial prowess, the sheer ability
of seasoned ceph ambushers to deliver such astonding damage
would leave me fearful of a second occupation…"
-- the accomplished Orcan packbreeder known as "The Beastmaster".

Endless Blue - Week 29 - The Versesinger, Elqua's Primordial Chanters

Sociology

Versesinger -- Equal's Primordial Chanters
The Verse is the voice of the primordial ocean, the song of living, the language of creation.  Containing true power, these words formed the basis of everything on Equal, from the coral and the kelp, the Vastness and the Known World.  Their melodious voices can be heard across the seas, harkening in moments of history both wonderful and baleful.

Adventurers:  Versesingers make good leaders with their innate charisma.  They posses a heavy balance of both bolstering skills and offensive capability that make them an asset to any group. Even when their ability to invoke whalesong has depleted, their martial prowess keeps them in the forefront of battle.

Alignment: There are no alignment restrictions to become a versesinger, though because they are only found in Orcan culture they are nearly all lawful in some manner.

Versesingers in the Known World
These are the poet-warriors of the Orcan society, the brutes with the tongues of silver, their voices welcome everywhere that Orcans strived to survive.  They are welcome in any pod, shown hospitality and reverence due to one whom can speak the words of creation.  They enjoy social acceptance in places the native culture would otherwise be biased against them, and any military organization would count itself blessed to have one of their kind amongst its ranks.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Versesingers have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Versesingers need a high Charisma score for the plethora of Perform checks required to employ their skills, but also a strong Constitution to make their whalesong more robust and allow them more attempts per day.

Race: Only Orcans can become versesingers, as only their multi-layered vocal chords are capable of primitively reproducing the prehistoric syllables that formed the waters.

Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d8.
Starting Funds: 2d10x5gp.

CLASS SKILLS
The versesinger's class skills (and key ability for each) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are the versesinger's class features.

Versesinger Class Abilities Chart

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feats	Whalesong
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Diaphragm, Verse, Whalesong	2
2	+1	+0	+0	+3		4
3	+2	+1	+1	+3		6
4	+3	+1	+1	+4	Bonus Feat	8
5	+4	+2	+2	+4		10
6	+5	+2	+2	+5	Duet	12
7	+6/+1	+3	+3	+5		14
8	+7/+2	+3	+3	+6	Bonus Feat	16
9	+8/+3	+4	+4	+6		18
10	+9/+4	+4	+4	+7	Chorus	20
11	+10/+5	+5	+5	+7		22
12	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+8	Bonus Feat	24
13	+12/+7/+2	+6	+6	+8		26
14	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+9	Harmony	28
15	+14/+9/+4	+7	+7	+9		30
16	+15/+10/+5	+7	+7	+10	Bonus Feat	32
17	+16/+11/+6/+1	+8	+8	+10		34
18	+17/+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+11	Sonal Shaping	36
19	+18/+13/+8/+3	+9	+9	+11		38
20	+19/+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+12	Bonus Feat	40

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The versesinger is proficient in all simple weapons, as well as the usage of light armor and shields.  Any armor with an Arcane Spell Failure Chance applies that same percentage to versesingers performing whalesongs.

Diaphragm: Due to their heavily muscled yet lithely agile diaphragms, versesingers gain a bonus number of whalesongs per day equal to their Constitution modifier.

Verse: The power of the Verse allows a versesinger's song to travel  immense distances.  A song can be heard to a distance of a mile per level of the versesinger.  The sound travels outward in all directions, and possesses no other properties other than the distance travelled.  These songs cannot carry complex information, but can serve as warnings, summons, or other simple, predefined notions.
Whalesong: The robust and complex voices of versesingers can produce a sonic call referred to as
"whalesong" which, when reinforced with the power of the Verse, can produce astounding physical effects.
Versesingers may employ a Listen check in the same manner a spellcaster uses Spellcraft, but only to determine the whalesongs of other versesingers or magical spells and effects that depend on sonics (not just spells with vocal components).

To start a whalesong is a standard action, and uses up a number of daily uses of whalesong (dependent on the particular whalesong, usually 1 usage).  All whalesongs are immediate sonic effects unless otherwise stipulated.  Continuous whalesongs require a versesinger to pass a Concentration check at DC 15 to make a standard action while singing, otherwise they can only make move actions and still maintain their whalesong.  A continuous whalesong can be ended as a free action.

Countersong: A versesinger with 3 or more ranks in Perform can uses his voice to counter other whalesongs or magical effects that are based on sound (spells with verbal components are not enough to qualify for countering).  Each round of countersinging requires a Perform check on the part of the versesinger, and a countersong can be maintained for 1 round per level of the versesingers.

Anyone within 30 ft. of the countering versesinger (including the versesinger himself) that is targeted by a sonic or language-dependent attack (such as a sound burst or command spell) may use the bard's Perform check result in place of his saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check proves to be higher.  If anyone in the area is already under the effects of  sonic or language-dependent attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect in each round it can hear the countersong, but it must use the versesinger's Perform roll as the result for the save.  Countersong cannot be used against effects that do not allow a save.

Fascinate: A versesinger with 3 or more ranks in his Perform skill can use this whalesong to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him.  This is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.  Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the versesinger, and be able to pay attention to him.  The verse sing must conversely be able to see the victim, and unless the versesinger passes a Concentration check the ability cannot be used in combat.  For every three levels beyond his first, the versesinger may target another victim per usage of this spell.

To use this whalesong, the versesinger must make a Perform check.  The result is the DC for the Will save of each affected creature.  If the victim passes his save, the versesinger cannot try to fascinate him again until after 24 hours later.  If the victims fails his Will save, the creature ceases all actions and listens quietly to the versesinger's whalesong.  The versesinger may continue this whale song for 1 round per versesinger level so long as he continues to pass his Concentration checks.

While fascinated, a victim suffers a -4 penalty to skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen or Spot checks.  Any potential threat, such as an ally of the versesinger approaching the victim, requires the versesinger to make a new Perform check and allows the victim a fresh Will save at the new Perform result.  Any obvious threat automatically breaks the fascination effect.

Inspire Courage: A versesinger with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his whalesong to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally need only be able to hear the versesinger sing.  The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the whalesong and for 5 rounds thereafter (assuming the versesinger can continue to pass any required Concentration checks).  An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.  At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Intimidate: A versesinger with at least 3 ranks in perform and 1 rank in Intimidate may perform this song.  This aquatic roar undermines the confidence of enemies within earshot and fills them with dread of the versesinger.  To be affected, the enemy must be able to hear the song for a full round, and causes a -2 morale penalty to saving throws against charm and fear effects, a -1 morale penalty to attack and damage rolls, and X.  The effect lasts as long as the versesinger sings and for 5 rounds thereafter, and maintaining the song while still performing other standard actions requires a concentration check at DC 15.

Inspire Competence: A versesinger with 6 or more ranks in his Perform skill can use his whalesong to help an ally succeed in a task.  The ally must be within 30 feet of the versesinger and be able to see and hear him, as the versesinger must also be able to see the ally.  The versesinger can give the ally a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as the versesinger continues passing his Concentration checks while maintaining the whalesong, up to two minutes.  This is a mind-affecting ability.

Stunning Song: A versesinger with at least 6 ranks in Perform may create a wall of sound-impelled water to buffet opponents, possibly stunning them with the sheer volume of their voice.  The song extends in a cone 5ft. per level in length, and all caught in the area suffer 1d6 subdual damage per level of the versesinger.  Victims may make a Fortitude save (DC10 + ½ the versesinger's Con mod) for half damage.

Mournful Song: A versesinger with at least 8 ranks of Perform and 8 ranks in Intimidate may loose a howling song striking fear into the hearts of his enemies.  All opponents within 30 ft. must make a Will save (DC 10 +½ versesinger's level + versesinger's Con mod) or become frightened for2d6 rounds.  Creatures with more HD than the versesinger are not affected, and the ability is equal to the frightful presence ability.

Sonic Buffet: A versesinger of at least 6th level and with at least 8 ranks in Perform and 5 ranks in intimidate can release a destructive vocal blast that damages objects and opponents.  This is identical to the spell shout except that the damage increases by 1d6 for every level of the versesinger above 7th to a maximum 10d6.

Suggestion: A versesinger of 6th level or higher with 9 or more ranks in his Perform skill can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated.  Using this ability does not break the bard’s concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect

Making a suggestion does not count against a versesinger’s daily limit on whalesongs. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ versesinger’s level + versesinger’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect.  This ability affects only a single creature. Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language dependent ability.

Confusion: A verse singer of at least 7th level and with at least 9 ranks in Perform may sound a strange song that confuses enemies.  The effects are identical to the spell confusion, except that the radius if 5 ft. per two levels of the versesinger.

Booming Song: A versesinger of at least 10th level and with at least 12 ranks in Perform may let forth a booming, subsonic bellow that shatters physical objects.  The blast is released in a cone 5ft. long per level.  All objects with a hardness equal to or less than half of the versesinger's level are affected.  For example, a 10th level versesinger could shatter objects with a hardness of 5 or less.  Objects with hit points exceeding three times the versesinger's level are also immune.  Attended items may make a Fortitude save as usual (DC 10 +½ versesinger's level + versesinger's Con modifier).  Magical items are not affected.

Inspire Greatness: A versesinger of 9th level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use whalesong to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting him or her extra fighting capability.  For every three levels a versesinger attains beyond 9th, he can target one additional ally with a single use of this ability (two at 12th level, three at 15th, four at 18th).  To inspire greatness, a versesinger must sing and an ally must hear him sing.  The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter, contingent on the versesinger passing all required Concentration checks.

A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves.  The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependant.  Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability.

Greater Intimidate: A versesinger of at least 12th level and with at least 15 ranks in Perform and 12 ranks in Intimidate can release an even more powerful version of intimidate song.  It is identical to the intimidate song except that the penalties are -6 and -3 respectively.  Using this ability takes 2 daily whalesong slots.

Song of Freedom: A versesinger of 12th level or higher with 15 or more ranks in their Perform skill can use a whalesong to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character’s versesinger level).  Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted concentration and singing, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet.  A versesinger cannot use song of freedom on himself.

Inspire Heroics: A versesinger of 15th level or higher with 18 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use a whalesong to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet.  For every three versesinger levels the character attains beyond 15th, he can inspire heroics in one additional creature.  To inspire heroics, a versesinger must sing and an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round.  A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC.  The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the whalesong and for up to 5 rounds thereafter, and the versesinger successfully passes all required Concentration checks. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability.

Mass Suggestion:  This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that a versesinger of 18th level or higher with 21 or more ranks in his Perform skill can make the suggestion simultaneously to any number of creatures that he has already fascinated. Mass suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.

Bonus Feat: A versesinger can choose a bonus feat at 4th level, and another at every four levels thereafter (at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th levels).  These feats can be chose from the same list as bonus fighter feats, but the versesinger must still meet the prerequisites for any feat chosen.

Duet: At level 6, versesingers gain the ability merge their songs with another versesinger, thereby increasing their song's potency (adding +2 to any die roll or DC).  Only versesingers employing the same whalesong can join their voices in duet.  This costs both versesingers an additional daily usage of whalesong, paid when the second versesinger joins the duet.

Chorus: Like Duet, a 10th level versesinger gains the ability merge their songs with those of multiple other versesingers.  The bonus from Duet is applied for each additional voice added to the duet to form a Chorus, and this costs each participant an additional daily use of whalesong.  For example:

Normally, a versesinger begins a song, and pays 1 daily use of whalesong.

A second versesinger joins the first and sings the same song, paying 1 daily use for the whale song and 1 additional use to enter the duet.  The first versesinger now spends an additional daily use of whale song, making the cost to each verse singer 2 whalesongs.

A third versesinger joins the duet to make it a chorus.  He pays 1 daily use for the continuous song, and 2 daily uses for each versesinger already in the chorus.  When the third versesinger joins, the previous two must each spend an additional 1 use of whalesong, bringing each versesingers cost in whalesongs to 3 uses.

These costs are automatic, but only on the condition that all members of the chorus are willing/able to pay the cost in additional whalesong uses.  Refusing to allow a versesinger to join or if one of the versesingers is unable to pay the required daily usage results in the hopeful versesinger losing the daily usage of whales song spent in order to join the chorus, and applies the effect of his whalesong as a separate instance.  Keep in mind that whalesongs do not stack, and instead will refresh things like duration, range, expiration, etc.

Harmony: Upon reaching 14th level, a versesinger learns the art of polyphonics, and is able to maintain two songs concurrently without the aid of others.  He may maintain two continuous song or a single continuous song punctuated by an immediate song, but not two immediate songs.  Further, the two songs harmonizing cannot be the same song.  This requires an additional daily use of whalesong beyond the ones needed for the two songs being harmonized, and the cost is paid when the second song is begun, whether it be a continuous or immediate effect.  Harmony cannot be used in conjunction with the versesinger's Duet/Chorus class abilities.

Zonal Shaping: A versesinger can monopolize on the acoustics of currents and the flowing water around him to shape his whalesong, essentially excluding anyone he chooses in the song's area of effect.

"The Verse is the will of the world, of word given form, of sound given shape."
-- a terse Orcan versesinger on the ubiquitous power of the Verse.