Ultimate Vortex

Vortexes are both crafty warriors and spellcasters. In the earlier ages, a group of battle mages, the Vortexes, became frustrated by the movement capabilities of heavier armors and the impact it had on their spellcasting abilities. After many years, they found a solution: Sigils. The battle mages came up with a way to imbue their arcane spell power into an object other than themselves. Much has improved since then, but the Vortexes' basic principles are still carried on today.

Adventures:

Characteristics: Vortexes are powerful fighters who supplement there combat powers with arcane magic in the form of sigils. Vortexes draw powers from rune like sigils that they engrave on their armor, weapons and sometimes even their own bodies. Unlike typical arcane casters, vortexes have a much easier time casting spells in armor; thanks to their sigils, some even have no problems at all.

Alignment:

Religion:

Background:

Races:

Other Classes:

Starting Age: Complex (same as cleric, druid, monk, and others).

Starting Gold: 15d4 x 10 (average 150 gp)

Game Rule Information

Vortexes (Vor) have the following game statistics.

  • Abilities: Intelligence is very important ability for a Vortex because it improves her sigil abilities. A good Strength and Constitution make Vortex sturdy warriors on the battlefield.
  • Alignment: Any.
  • Hit Points per Level: 1d8 + Con modifier.
  • Hit points are maximized at 1st character level.
  • Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
  • Skill points are multiplied by 4 at 1st character level.

Class Skills: The vortex's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history), Profession (Wis), (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Class Table

       Base            Fort  Ref   Will
Level  Attack Bonus    Save  Save  Save  Special     .
1st    +1              +2    +0    +1    Spell Sigil
2nd    +2              +3    +0    +2    Sigil Ability
3rd    +3              +3    +1    +2    -
4th    +4              +4    +1    +2    -
5th    +5              +4    +1    +3    Sigil Ability
6th    +6/+1           +5    +2    +3    -
7th    +7/+2           +5    +2    +4    -
8th    +8/+3           +6    +2    +4    Sigil Ability
9th    +9/+4           +6    +3    +4    -
10th   +10/+5          +7    +3    +5    -
11th   +11/+6/+1       +7    +3    +5    Sigil Ability
12th   +12/+7/+2       +8    +4    +6    -
13th   +13/+8/+3       +8    +4    +6    -
14th   +14/+9/+4       +9    +4    +6    Sigil Ability
15th   +15/+10/+5      +9    +5    +7    -
16th   +16/+11/+6/+1   +10   +5    +7    -
17th   +17/+12/+7/+2   +10   +5    +8    Sigil Ability
18th   +18/+13/+8/+3   +11   +6    +8    -
19th   +19/+14/+9/+4   +11   +6    +8    -
20th   +20/+15/+10/+5  +12   +6    +9    Sigil Ability

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the vortex.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Vortex is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, medium and light armor, and shields (but not tower shields).

Spell Sigil (Su): At first level a vortex gains the ability to engrave Spell Sigils. A Spell Sigil in an engraving that can manifest the power of an arcane spell under certain circumstances. When carved a vortex sets under what circumstances the Spell Sigil will be triggered and what spell will be cast. She may select one of the following triggers: Touch (the trigger is fulfilled when something touches the sigil), Sound (the trigger is fulfilled when the sigil hears a set sound or phrase), sight (the trigger is fulfilled when the sigil it made to cast the spell after witnessing a previously set vision), and smell (the trigger is fulfilled when a certain odor is released into the air). Spell Sigils disappear after being triggered to cast or after 24 hours. The spells a vortex can imbue into are drawn from the vortex spell list. To learn or cast a spell, a vortex must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a vortex's sigil spell’s spell is 10 + one-third the vortex's level + the vortex's Intelligence modifier. Like druid or paladin, a vortex may know a number of spells from each spell level equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. It is possible for her to learn spells above that limit, but the costs are high. It takes one round per spell level to embue a Spell Sigil

Spell Sigils Per Day

Spell Sigils per day
Level   0 1 2 3 4 5
1st     2 0 - - - -
2nd     2 1 - - - -
3rd     3 1 - - - -
4th     3 2 - - - -
5th     4 2 - - - -
6th     4 2 0 - - -
7th     4 3 1 - - -
8th     4 3 2 - - -
9th     4 4 2 0 - -
10th    4 4 2 1 - -
11th    4 4 3 1 - -
12th    4 4 3 2 - -
13th    4 4 4 2 0 -
14th    4 4 4 2 1 -
15th    4 4 4 3 1 -
16th    4 4 4 3 2 -
17th    4 4 4 4 2 0
18th    4 4 4 4 2 1
19th    4 4 4 4 3 1
20th    4 4 4 4 3 2
  • In addition to these a Vortex may also create a number of Spell Sigils equal to her Intelligence modifier and can be of any level that the Vortex has 0 or more sigil spells per day in.

Learning New Spells: A vortex can learn any spell from her list, but doing so is not a easy task. To learn a spell, a vortex must pay an amount of gold equal to spell level squared x 50 (or 25 gp in case of 0-level spells) in special rare materials used in creating Sigils. In addition, the vortex must either have a teacher (another arcane spellcaster who knows the spell - that person need not to be a vortex though) or spend a number of days equal to spell's level squared on developing the spell from scratch (6 hours for a 0-level spell). If a vortex attempts to learn a spell and he already reached her limit of spells known for that level, multiply gold cost by 10. A newly created 1st level vortex knows a number of 0-level spells equal to her Int bonus and one 1st level spell.


Vortex Spell List

0-level Acid Splash, Daze, Flare, Guidance, Light, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue, Virtue

1st level Cause Fear, Enlarge Person, Entropic Shield, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Jump, Inflict Light Wounds, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon, Mount, Reduce Person, Shield, Shocking Grasp, True Strike

2nd level Aid, Bear’s Endurance, Blur, Blindness/Deafness, Bull’s Strength, Cat’s Grace, Daze Monster, Eagle’s Splendor, Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Levitate, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Protection from Arrows, Pyrotechnics, Resist Energy, Scare, Scorching Ray, Searing Light, Shatter, Shield Other, Spider Climb

3rd level Blink, Call Lightning, Daylight, Fireball, Flame Arrow, Fly, Gaseous Form, Haste, Keen Edge, Lightning Bolt, Inflict Serious Wounds, Magic Weapon, Greater, Phantom Steed, Protection from energy, Rage, Slow, Water Breathing, Wind Wall, Vampiric Touch

4th level Dimensional Movement, Dimension Door, Evard’s Black Tentacles, Fire Shield, Flame Strike, Freedom of Movement, Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser, Ice Storm, Inflict Critical Wounds, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere, Reduce Person, Mass, Shout, Solid Fog, Stoneskin, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice

5th level Bigby’s Interposing Hand, Break Enchantment, Cloudkill, Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound, Overland Flight, Passwall, Telikenesis, Wall of Force



Sigil Ability

At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter, a vortex gains a Sigil Ability from the following list. Bonuses from sigil abilities don't stack with similar effects.

  • Blood and Sigils as One (Su): A Vortex can telepathically communicate with any sigil that she creates. This also means that she can change the trigger of any of her sigils as a free action. Furthermore, she can harness the energy of any spell that was counterspelled by one of her sigils. This means that once the spell has been counterspelled, it becomes a sigil in the same place as the sigil that counterspelled it. The Vortex is notified telepathically and can set the trigger. She must have the Counterspell Sigil ability to gain Blood and Sigils as One. A vortex must be at level 11 to take this sigil ability.
  • Counterspell Sigil (Su): A vortex's Spell Sigils have the ability to counterspell as if they had the Improved Counterspell feat. Spell Sigils can be set to counterspell instead of casting the spell.
  • Improved Channeling (Su): A Vortex cast ranged touch attack spells through her weapon without the use of a sigil. Each time she uses her weapon to cast a ranged touch attack spell, she loose one Sigil Spells Per Day of the spell level she cast. The spell must be one known to the vortex. She must have the Sigil of Channeling ability to gain Improved Channeling.
  • Improved Resilience (Su): A vortex may now choose silver or adamantine for the Sigil of Resilience ability. She must have the Sigil of Resilience Ability to a gain Improved Resilience.
  • Lasting Spell Sigils (Su): A vortex's Spell Sigils disappear after 72 hours instead of 24.
  • Mage's Sigil (Su): A Vortex has the ability to engrave a weapon with the Mage's Sigil. A Mage's Sigil allows the weapon to be under the constant effect of one of the following spells: Guidance, Keen Edge, Magic Weapon, Magic Weapon, Greater. The Vortex must know the spell that she wishes to imbue the power of into the weapon.It takes two hours to engrave a weapon with a Mage's Sigil and costs 100gp (100gp for Guidance) per spell level worth of materials.
  • Self Sigil (Su): A vortex may choose the target, if she wishes, of any spell cast by a spell sigil that in imbued upon herself and gains spell resistance 10 + her vortex level + her wisdom modifier. Also she can how change the trigger and spell of any spell sigil imbued upon herself as a free action.
  • Sigil of Arcane Armor (Su): A Vortex has the ability to engrave armor with the Sigil of Arcane Armor. A Sigil of Arcane Armorallows the armor to be under the constant effect of one of the following spells while wearing the armor with the Sigil of Arcane Armor: Entropic Shield, Protection from Arrows, Protection from energy, Resist Energy, Shield. The Vortex must know the spell that she wishes to imbue the power of into the armor. It takes two hours to engrave armor with a Sigil of Arcane Armorand costs 100gp (100gp for Guidance) per spell level worth of materials.
  • Sigil of Channeling (Su): A vortex has the ability to engrave a weapon with a Sigil of Channeling. A Sigil of Channeling allows the Vortex to cast touch spells through the striking her weapon. At any time which a vortex successfully strikes an opponent she has the option of also striking it with a touch spell. Each time she use this ability she loose one Sigil Spells Per Day of the spell level she cast. The spell must be one known to the vortex.It takes one hour to engrave a weapon with a Sigil of Channeling and costs 300gp worth of materials.
  • Sigil of Force (Su): A Vortex is able to carve a Sigil of Force into her own flesh. Sigil of Force allows her to use one of the following spells a number of times equal to her vortex level/spell level as a free action: Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement, Gaseous Form , Jump, and Spider Climb. Her caster level is equal to her Vortex level. The Vortex must know the spell that she wishes to imbue the power of onto herself. It takes 2 hours per spell level to carve a Sigil of Force and suffers 1d6 times the spell level damage in the process.
  • Sigil of Light(Su): A Vortex can engrave a weapon with the Sigil of Light. A Sigil of Light allows the weapon to bypass all types damage reduction. It takes two hours to engrave a weapon with a Sigil of Light and costs 50gp worth of materials. A weapon with a Sigil of Light produces a constant light spell effect.
  • Sigil of Resilience(Su):A Vortex is able to engrave a Sigil of Resilienceinto her own flesh. A Sigil of Resilience gives her damage a choice of damage reductions 5/ Piercing, Slashing, Bludgeoning or Magic. The type of DR can be changed after an hour of meditation. At fifth, and every 5 levels thereafter the damage reduction increases by +1. It takes 2 hours for a Vortex to imbue a Sigil of Resilience and she suffers 1d6 damage from the process.

Epic Vortex

The epic vortex...

Hit Points per Level: 1d8 + Con modifier.

Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Vortex
Level    Special
21th     -
22th     -
23th     Sigil Ability
24th     -
25th     Bonus Feat
26th     Sigil Ability
27th     -
28th     -
29th     Sigil Ability
30th     Bonus Feat

Sigil Ability: an epic vortex continues to gain sigil abilities every three levels.

Bonus Feat: An epic vortex gains bonus feat at 25st level and every 5 levels thereafter. Whenever she gains a bonus feat from this ability, she may either take an epic feat, or two non-epic feats. The list of available epic feats is same as in Epic Level Handbook.

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