The Cult of the Dragon, a terrible group of wizards and others, create dracoliches, this is well known. Dracoliches are powerful beasts with all of their draconic powers, coupled with undead immortality, and strong wills; this, too, is well known. What isn't so well known is that a small few of the members, along with a small few of their dracoliches, have created a bizarre fighting force, one that could become very dangerous in the not-to-distant future. These cultists have formed mental connections with their dracoliches, similar to those of the Dragon Riders of Pern or those of the Council of Wyrms, and like them the cultist and dracolich work together as a team. The difference, though, is in how they do this, for the siege-master doesn't ride on his dracolich, like a mount, but instead inside it, like a siege engine. They are called siege-masters because dracoliches can be very helpful and good at attacking fortifications, and having a capable spellcaster planted inside its ribs only makes things better and easier. Imagine seeing a dracolich come flying by, belching breath attacks and smashing things as it goes, and then think of the added problem of an offensive spellcaster nestled safely within its ribs reignin magic spells down upon other targets as they pass. Karnoth Bladelord (Nec9/Wop2/Sfc2/Dsm5), son of the former war-leader, Naergoth Bladelord, and also the one who finally brought spellfire to the Cult, was the first siege-master, and he got the idea from the death dragon spell. Since then, a small number more have also joined the ranks, but the numbers will probably stay low, due to a combination of the small number of dracoliches coupled with an even smaller amount of those dracoliches who aren't too prideful to acept the bond.
Being already Wearers of Purple, they dress the part, wearing purple robes and runes that state their dracoliches name.
Hit Die: d4
Requirements:
To qualify to become a dracolich siege-master (Dsm), the character must meet the following criteria.
• Base Save Bonus: Will +5*
• Skills: Alchemy 5 ranks*, Diplomacy 4 ranks*, Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks*, Knowledge (local) 3 ranks*, Speak Language (Draconic)*, Spellcraft 8 ranks .
• Feats: Combat Casting, Iron Will*, Spell Focus (Necromancy)*.
• Spellcasting: Able to cast at least one necromantic spell.
• Special: Must have at least one level in the Wearer of Purple prestige class. Also must participate in the creation of the dracolich you will be linked to, which must agree to the link.
*-A prerequisite for the Wearer of Purple prestige class, membership in which is a prereqisite of this prestige class.
Class Skills: The Dracolich siege-master's class skills are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft(Int), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Int).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dracolich siege-masters gain no proficiency in any weapon or armor.
Skill Points per level: 2 + Int modifier
| Class Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells per Day | |||||
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Bond, Spell Failure 20% | +1 level of existing class | |||||
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Spell Failure 15% | +1 level of existing class | |||||
| 3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Telepathy, Spell Failure 10% | +1 level of existing class | |||||
| 4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Spell Failure 5% | +1 level of existing class | |||||
| 5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Spell Failure 0% | +1 level of existing class |
CLASS FEATURES
All of the following are class features of the Ringmaster prestige class.
Spells per Day: Each time the character gains a level of ringmaster, he gains additional spell slots and casting ability as if going up a level in his original class. If he has more than one spellcasting class, he must choose which class this benefits. No other level-dependant benefits are gained or affected.
Bond (Su): At 1st level, a siege-master creates psychic link with a particular dracolich that he has helped create. This bond can only be made with one dracolich at a time. While bonded, this empathic link allows the two to share each others senses and coordinate movement; over time this improves.
Spell Failure (Su): While one of the key points of this set-up is to allow a skilled spellcaster to aide a dracolich safely while in combat, a combination of things, some of which include sharing thoughts, to an extent wearing armor, staying in place, and coordinating movement, causes a siege-master difficulty casting his spells while inside the dracolich. In the beginning, the chance is 30%, just like wearing heavy armor. As the siege-master increases in levels, this decreases 5% each round until, at the end, the chance for failure is 0%. This penalty is only present when the siege-master is inside the dracolich and in combat.
Telepathy (Su): Up till now, the siege-master could only talk to his dracolich mentally when he was inside, and then it was only images, like empathy. At third level, though, it blossoms into full telepathy. They can coomunicate instantly, from any distance, and verbally. This teleptahy is only effective between the rider and his dracolich.
Benefits and Penalties of Dracolich-Riding
• Armor Class: While not changed in truth, no physical attacks can affect the rider directly, unless they are area-affecting or the dracolich is destroyed. Otherwise, it is always assumed that the dracolich, being larger, is the one that is hit; even called shots only have a 5% chance of hitting, due to the ribs and arms.
• Spell Defense: Due to the bond of the rider and dracolich, along with the rider being physically inside it, both benefit from the dracoliches spell resistance. Also, no spell that can only affect one will be affective (in regards to type of target). If it cannot affect undead, it will not affect either, or if it can only affect the undead (this does not include turning/rebuking attempts or undead-controlling magics, though it does include undead-harming ones), both are protected. Spells that can affect either are unaffected, and spells that can only target a single, called person (i.e. magic missile) will work.
• Shared Senses: Effectively, each can watch the other's back, so to say. Anything that one of them can perceive they both can, and this makes sneaking up all the more difficult.
• Spell Failure: Unless a true master of the art (level 5), there is always some degree of difficulty to casting spells.
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