Spinal Architect
A feared, elite warrior whose secret knowledge of
anatomy and its crafts give them unique and powerful
abilities.
The spinal architects originated in the Demonic
orders of Hell, where cruel fiends who specialized
in combat, torture, and craftwork began studying the
physical forms of their enemies and learning the
weaknesses of those forms, as well as how to take
the bodies of defeated foes and create monuments to
victory or craft strange and terrible weapons. After
the Cataclysm of Sundering, the demonic spinal
architects taught their trade and expertise to those
new mortal kin that would learn it. Others studied
the ways of the spinal architects and taught
themselves.
Now, the number of spinal architects is unknown but
growing. They are still rare, but their name and
abilities are known to many, and inspire fear in
most. Some are reclusive and twisted, many serve as
effective bounty hunters, and a few work together in
mysterious warrior cabals.
Requirements:
• Base Attack Bonus: +6
• Skills: Craft (any) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Anatomy) 2
ranks
• Feat: Exploit Vitals
• Special: Access to spinal architecture knowledge
from a book, set of scrolls, or willing spinal
architect.
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills: The spinal architect's class
skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:
Craft (Any) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),
Knowledge (Anatomy) (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 0 + Intelligence
modifier
Class Features:
Weapon and armor proficiencies: Spinal
architects are proficient in all simple and martial
weapons, and light, medium, and heavy armor.
Analyze anatomical weakness (Ex): A spinal
architect uses his knowledge of skeletal, muscular,
and other internal anatomical systems to advantage
in battle. As a free action once per round, a spinal
architect may use this ability against a target that
the architect has been fighting in melee for at
least one round, if the creature's physical anatomy
is a member of or similar to these groups: animal,
beast, humanoid, or insect. For example, undead and
constructs cannot be targeted . If the architect's
Knowledge (Anatomy) skill total (without a d20 roll)
is equal to or greater than the hit dice of the
target, then the architect's current melee weapon's
critical threat range is increased by 1 against the
target for that encounter.
Anatomical study: When a character gains any
level of the spinal architect class, the character
gains 3 skill points that must be applied to
Knowledge (Anatomy) or Craft (Bonework), divided in
any manner. This includes the first level of this
class (unused skill points are lost.) In addition,
when attaining this prestige class, a character may
convert all skill ranks placed in another single
Craft skill into Craft (Bonework). Craft (Bonework)
is used for crafting or repairing simple trinkets or
tools from bone, or monuments and buildings when
working with other bonework crafters. Special
applications of this skill are learned at later
levels of this class.
Break bone (Ex): Beginning at second level,
the spinal architect may use their skills and
knowledge to break the bones of opponents in battle,
causing great pain and suffering. When a critical
threat is scored, instead of rolling a critical hit
attack roll, the spinal architect may choose instead
to break an opponent's bone. The opponent may make a
Fortitude saving throw to resist this against DC 10
+ the spinal architect's class level + the spinal
architect's strength bonus. Failure results in one
or more broken bones in the opponent's body,
applying a -4 penalty to Strength and Dexterity; in
addition, the spinal architect causes standard
damage with his successful attack (but no critical
hit damage.) A spinal architect may affect a
creature only once per 24 hours with this ability.
Craft masterwork bone arrow or dagger: The
spinal architect may make use of crafting skills to
create arrowheads and daggers of bone that make use
of the most efficient creature bones shaped to
perfection. The number of arrowheads and daggers
created are limited by the amount of material, the
skill of the architect, and the time available. The
skeleton of a tiny creature can be used to create 2
arrowheads or one dagger, a small creature for 6
arrowheads or 3 daggers, medium creatures 12
arrowheads or 6 daggers, large 20 arrowheads or 10
daggers, doubling for each higher size category.
Four arrowheads or two daggers can be crafted in one
hour of uninterrupted work. Treat each arrow and
dagger created as a masterwork weapon. An architect
may spend as many hours in one day working
successfully at crafting bone arrowheads or daggers
equal to the number they beat a DC of 15 with a
Craft (Bonework) skill check, up to 8.
Alternatively, the architect may create more crude
weapons with a DC 15 roll, resulting in
non-masterwork arrowheads or daggers.
Metal-graft skeleton (Ex): At third level,
the spinal architect's research and intuition has
unlocked a secret ritual: binding steel magically to
the architect's skeleton, toughening the warrior
with a metal frame. This ritual can be done only
once and is performed any time after the third level
is achieved. The ritual requires one week of
uninterrupted time, a private location, an amount of
steel equal to 20% of the architect's weight, and
500 earth shards in other materials. When completed,
the spinal architect now weighs 20% more, gains a
permanent Armor Class bonus of +2, receives a +4
bonus to saving throws against attacks that would
break or damage bones, receives a -5 penalty to
Swimming skill checks, and causes lethal damage in
unarmed combat instead of non-lethal damage.
Craft spinal blade or bow (Su): Beginning at
level 4, the spinal architect's skill at bonework
crafting is such that the spine of a slain creature
may be fashioned into a grotesque sword-like weapon
or bow. The spine's blood vessels and nervous system
must be preserved and the vertebrae intact. For the
sword, ribs are broken to nubs and cut to sharp
edges, often augmented with razor-like metal blades.
The bow is fastened with sinew and tendon to create
a bowstring. Alone, these weapons function
ineffectively, working more as horrific keepsakes
than armament. However, in the hands of a spinal
architect, the veins and nerves of the architect
break through the flesh of his hands and join with
the weapons, bringing them to terrible life. Arming
or disarming the weapon is a move-equivalent action
that causes 1d4 damage (note that the bow attaches
only to the bracing hand and not the arming hand.)
The architect is always proficient with the weapon
and is treated as having the feats Weapon Focus,
Weapon Specialization, and Improved Critical with
the weapon, if the character meets the requirements
for taking those feats.
Spinal blade:
masterwork one-handed exotic melee weapon. Dmg
(m): 2d4, Crit 19-20/x2, Type: slashing.
Spinal bow: masterwork exotic ranged weapon.
Strength rating: +4. Dmg (m): 1d8, Crit: x3,
Type: piercing.
Creating the spinal
weapon requires the intact spine of a medium-sized
creature (smaller or larger spines may be used; this
modifies the crafting and final stats of the weapon;
consult the DM) and 500 earth shards in extra
material, and seven days of work. At the end of this
time, a Craft (Bonework) skill roll is made against
DC 20. Failure means the roll must be re-made 24
hours later as more work is required; only two
failures may result in this extension, and the next
failure means the work is lost. Success means the
weapon is completed and ready.
Once created, the
spinal architect may engage in a ritual to enchant
the weapon. This may be done twice per weapon, and
each time it is successful, the weapon gains a +1
enhancement if its enhancement is equal to +1 or
less already. This ritual costs 1000 earth shards
times the new total bonus target in material and
requires one day of uninterrupted work, and the
character must sacrifice 100 experience points per
1000 earth shards in materials. A Craft (Bonework)
skill roll against DC 20 must be successfully made
or the costs are lost and the enchantment attempt
fails.
Additionally, the
spinal weapon may be enchanted by normal use of the
Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat.
Crush or sever
limb (Ex):
The spinal architect's knowledge of skeletal and
muscular systems results in an unparalleled ability
to exploit weak points of anatomy to sever the limbs
of opponents with grisly frequency, or to at least
crush the limb into jelly and dust. If the architect
has analyzed the anatomical weakness of a melee
opponent (one round has passed in fighting a legal
target), during the rest of the encounter against
that target, the architect may declare that a melee
attack roll will be made targeting a specific limb.
The limb must be one foot or longer, so normal
humanoid arms and legs would qualify, and the attack
roll is made with a -4 penalty due to the precision
necessary for the strike. If a critical threat is
scored, the spinal architect may choose instead to
crush or sever the opponent's limb (the architect
may still use the break bone ability instead, or try
for the critical hit as usual.) The opponent may
make a Fortitude saving throw to resist this against
DC 10 + the spinal architect's class level + the
spinal architect's strength bonus. Failure means the
limb is severed if the material protecting the limb
is of hardness equal to or less than the strength
bonus of the architect, otherwise it is crushed,
shattering bone and tenderizing muscle into pudding.
If no critical threat is scored or the saving throw
succeeds, normal damage is still done.
A severed or crushed
limb is useless and requires a heal spell to
restore if crushed or regenerate if severed.
Anything held in a crushed or severed arm is
dropped, and an arcane spellcaster that attempts a
spell with a somatic component receives a 50%
failure penalty. A crushed or severed leg reduces a
creature's movement by 50%, induces a -4 penalty to
Reflex saving throws and negates a creature's
Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. A spinal architect
may crush or sever the limb of a creature only once
per 24 hours with this ability.
|
Class
Level |
Base Attack
Bonus |
Fortitude
Save |
Reflex
Save |
Will
Save |
Special |
|
1 |
+1 |
+2 |
+0 |
+0 |
Analyze anatomical weakness,
Anatomical study |
|
2 |
+2 |
+3 |
+0 |
+0 |
Break
bone, Craft masterwork bone arrow or dagger |
|
3 |
+3 |
+3 |
+1 |
+1 |
Metal-graft skeleton |
|
4 |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
+1 |
Craft spinal blade or bow |
|
5 |
+5 |
+4 |
+1 |
+1 |
Crush or sever limb |
|
