Discordant Instigator (Archetype)

Class Skills: The discordant instigator's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Disable Device (int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex) Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

These class skills replace those normally available to the scion of discordia.

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: The Discordant Instigator
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Special Maximum Expletive Points Spent at Once
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Cursing at the universe, discordant zone, discordant blow 1d3 1
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Talent of discordia 1
3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Source material 1
4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Discordant blow 2d3 2
5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Discordant evasion 2
6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Mobile discordia, talent of discordia 2
7th +5 +2 +5 +5 Discordant blow 3d3 3
8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Palpable insults, talent of discordia 3
9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Mobile discordia (40 ft.) 3
10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Discordant blow 4d3 4
11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 Improved discordant evasion 4
12th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Mobile discordia (50 ft.), talent of discordia 4
13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Discordant blow 5d3, insult to injury 5
14th +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 Talent of discordia 5
15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Mobile discordia (60 ft.) 5
16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Discordant blow 6d3 6
17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 The unswattable fly 6
18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Killer insults, mobile discordia (70 ft.), talent of discordia 6
19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 Mobile discordia (swift, 20 ft.), discordant blow 7d3 6
20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Avatar of discordia, talent of discordia 6

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Discordant instigators are proficient with the blowgun, crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. They are also proficient with light armor.

Cursing at the Universe (Su): At 1st level, a discordant instigator gains a pool of expletive points, a measure of how effectively he can anger the universe. The number of points in a discordant instigator's expletive pool is equal to three times his discordant instigator level + his Charisma modifier.

The expletive pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.

This ability replaces truemagic and recitations.

Discordant Blows (Su): At 1st level, whenever the discordant instigator is within his Discordant Zone, weapons he wields deal an additional 1d3 points of sonic damage on a successful hit. At 4th level and every three levels thereafter, this sonic damage increases by +1d3, to a maximum of 7d3 points of additional sonic damage at 19th level.

This ability replaces the talents of discordia gained at 4th, 10th, and 16th level.

Discordant Zone (Sp): At 1st level, a discordant instigator may expend 1 expletive point as a standard action to let loose with a horrible tirade of insults directed at the universe itself. Given that it's being insulted, and by some fool whose deplorable accent makes him speak through his nose, the universe, quite understandably, responds quite violently.

The enraged universe produces a Discordant Zone centered upon the discordant instigator. The radius of this Discordant Zone is equal to 10 feet + 5 feet per expletive point spent to insult the universe. This Zone persists for expletive points spent + Charisma modifier rounds. A discordant instigator may dismiss his Discordant Zone as a standard action, though this expends an additional expletive point.

At 4th level and every three levels beyond 4th, the maximum number of expletive points a discordant instigator may expend when insulting the universe increases by +1, to a maximum of 6 expletive points at 16th level, though he may always expend fewer expletive points than the maximum allowed should he wish to do so.

A Discordant Zone is invisible to the naked eye, but projects a palpable sense of malice and wrongness that tingles up the spine of anyone within its area of effect. Discordant Zones have a magical aura that can be detected with spells such as detect magic, but they do not register as belonging to any school of magic. Despite this lack of a school, dispel magic and other such abilities can remove a Discordant Zone. Treat the discordant instigator's class level as his caster level for the purpose of such effects. A Discordant Zone cannot be counterspelled.

When the discordant instigator establishes a Discordant Zone, he receives discordance points, representing his ability to direct the power of the universe's backlash rather than letting it rip him apart, equal to twice the number of expletive points used to generate the Discordant Zone. He must expend all of these points immediately to modify the Discordant Zone. Each modification has a discordance point cost.

The Discordant Zone can be modified in the following ways:

Arcane Backlash
Discordance Point Cost: 1
Arcane spells with a verbal component cast within the area of the Discordant Zone require a DC 10 + the number of expletive points used to generate the Discordant Zone concentration check to cast. On a failed concentration check, the spell is lost.

Communication Breakdown
Discordance Point Cost: 1
Creatures within the area of the Discordant Zone take a penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device skill checks equal to the number of expletive points used to generate the Discordant Zone. Linguistic checks made regarding the spoken word, not the written word, as well as Perception checks made to listen, are also penalized in this fashion.

Disquieting Phantoms
Discordance Point Cost: X; see text
When establishing his Discordant Zone, the discordant instigator may expend any number of discordance points. For each discordance point spent in this manner, the discordant instigator receives a phantom point. Whenever the instigator makes an attack against a creature that is within the Discordant Zone, he may expend 1 phantom point as a free action. If he does that creature is treated as though the instigator were flanking it for that one attack. A discordant instigator may flank with a ranged attack in this manner.

Starting at 4th level, the discordant instigator gains 1 phantom point at the beginning of his turn, to a maximum of the number of discordance points originally invested in this ability. At 10th and 16th level, he gains an additional phantom point at the beginning of his turn, to a maximum of 3 phantom points at 16th level.

Divine Backlash
Discordance Point Cost: 1
Arcane spells with a verbal component cast within the area of the Discordant Zone require a DC 10 + the number of expletive points used to generate the Discordant Zone concentration check to cast. On a failed concentration check, the spell is lost.

This ability modifies discordant zone.

Talents of Discordia: The discordant instigator may choose a rogue talent or ninja trick in place of a talent of discordia. He treats his discordant instigator class level as his rogue or ninja class level for the purpose of these talents and tricks, including meeting their prerequisites.

This ability modifies talents of discordia.

Source Material (Ex): At 3rd level, whenever the discordant instigator reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points while both he and his victim are within the Discordant Zone, he regains 1 expletive point. Reducing a creature that has fewer Hit Dice than half the instigator’s character level to 0 or fewer hit points does not restore any expletive points.

This ability replaces the inflection gained at 3rd level.

Discordant Evasion (Su): At 5th level, the discordant instigator can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. While within the area of his Discordant Zone, if he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. A helpless discordant instigator does not gain the benefit of discordant evasion.

This ability replaces the variable recitation gained at 5th level.

Palpable Insults (Su): At 8th level, while within the area of his Discordant Zone, creatures hit by the discordant instigator are shaken for 1 round with no saving throw allowed. This shaken condition doesn’t stack with other shaken conditions to make an affected creature frightened. Given the source of these insults is one that can insult the universe itself, creatures that are immune to mind-affecting abilities, including mindless creatures, can be shaken in this fashion.

This ability replaces the inflection gained at 8th level.

Improved Discordant Evasion (Su): At 11th level, a discordant instigator's discordant evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks while within his Discordant Zone, but henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save.

This ability replaces the variable recitation gained at 11th level.

Insult to Injury (Su): While his target is shaken, the discordant instigator treats all 1s rolled on discordant blow damage dice as 2s instead.

This ability replaces the inflection gained at 13th level.

The Unswattable Fly (Su): At 17th level, while within his Discordant Zone, the discordant instigator has moderate fortification and all attacks made against him have a 20% miss chance.

This ability replaces the variable recitation gained at 17th level.

Killer Insults (Su): At 18th level, shaken creatures that begin their turn within the discordant instigator’s Discordant Zone take 5d6 points of sonic damage with a DC 10 + 1/2 the instigator’s class level + the instigator’s Charisma modifier Fortitude save for half damage.

This ability replaces the inflection gained at 18th level.

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