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A plumed servant is an eldritch emissary both to and from the rainbow-feathered couatl in their hidden ziggurats deep in the heart of the jungle primeval. Students of arcane magic, plumed servants eschew the study of far-off planes in favor of the deep mysteries held by these serpentine speakers for the heavens. They seek to blend the sublime holiness of the couatl with their arcane experiments and thereby to make themselves noble and worthy servants for their brightly plumed patrons. Some plumed servants remain in the deep jungle, assisting the couatl directly and safeguarding travelers and explorers, while others adopt far-ranging missionary crusades to roll back the tide of darkness and bring hope and help far outside the torrid zone. In general, plumed serpents carry the heart of their teachings from the couatl with them wherever they roam, though they must be ever vigilant for one of the feathered serpents to appear at any moment from the Ethereal, having discovered some new evil breaking forth.
Plumed servants are most often sorcerers and wizards, though some bards seek to expand their store of knowledge and lore with the wisdom of old empires. Magi sometimes follow this path, combining might and magic with the divine secrets of the couatl to become cunning crusaders in their service. Witches, however, rarely are willing to follow the guidance of the couatl alongside the patrons they already must serve in order to attain knowledge and power.
Requirements
To qualify to become a plumed servant, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
- Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 5 ranks
- Spells: Able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells
- Languages: Celestial and Draconic
- Alignment: Any non-evil, non-chaotic alignment.
- Special: An aspiring plumed servant must travel to a hidden jungle temple or shrine guarded by a couatl and performed a service for it taking at least one week in exchange for one of the couatl’s feathers.
Hit Dice: d6
Class Skills: Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis),
Knowledge (All) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis)
Skill Points Per Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Class Features
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells per Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +1 | Aura of good, domain, feather focus, feathered wings | - |
| 2nd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Stern gaze | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +2 | Serpent’s grace +2 | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +2 | Detect alignment, domain | - |
| 5th | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | Elemental speech, plumaweaving | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +3 | Serpent’s grace +4 | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +4 | Detect thoughts, domain | - |
| 8th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +4 | Etherflight | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +5 | Serpent’s grace +6, timeless body | +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +5 | Domain, perfect pluma | - |
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Plumed servants gain no proficiency in any armor, shields, or weapons.
Spells
A plumed servant advances in spellcasting ability in any arcane spellcasting class she possesses, following the usual rules for advancing spellcasting in a prestige class.
Aura of Good (Ex)
The power of a plumed servant’s aura of good (see the detect evil spell) is equal to her character level. An antipaladin using smite good against a plumed servant deals 2 points of damage per antipaladin level on her first successful attack.
Domain (Ex)
At 1st level and every 3 levels thereafter, a plumed servant’s devotion to the couatl as messengers of the ancient gods that stand guard against barbarism and chaos allows her to gain one of the following domains (if a subdomain is listed, that subdomain must be selected as well): Animal (Feather subdomainAPG), Good, Law, Repose (Ancestors subdomainAPG), RuinsISMC, ScalykindISWG, or Travel (Exploration subdomainAPG). She can select an alignment domain only if her alignment matches that domain. Although not as tied to the tenets of the deity as a cleric, a plumed servant must still hold such guidelines in high regard, despite that fact she can go against them if it serves the greater good.
Each domain grants a number of domain powers, depending on the level of the plumed servant. A plumed servant does not gain the bonus spells listed for each domain, nor does she gain bonus spell slots. The plumed servant uses her arcane caster level as her effective cleric level when determining access to her domain powers and their effects. If a plumed servant has cleric levels and her deity allows one of the above domains, her domain selection as a 1st-level plumed servant must be one of those allowed by her deity. Levels of cleric stack with her arcane caster level for the purpose of determining domain powers and abilities, but not for bonus spells.
When a plumed servant is able to add to her spells known, whether as a spontaneous caster when gaining levels or a prepared caster learning spells from a spellbook or scroll, she may select a domain spell of a level she can cast in place of a spell on her usual class spell list. Once she learns a spell in this fashion, it is considered part of her spell list for that class and can be prepared or cast using her normal spell slots of the appropriate level; if the spell already appears on her class list but is lower level as a cleric spell, she can cast it using that level of spell slot once she has learned it. Once a domain spell is learned, she can use spell-completion and spell-trigger items using that spell without difficulty. Domain spells she has not learned are not considered part of her class list. A prepared caster can learn a domain spell from a divine scroll as if it were an arcane scroll.
Feather Focus (Ex)
The focus that a plumed servant receives from a couatl when he is seeking to join this class becomes a focus item for her spellcasting in a manner identical to a wizard’s arcane bond item, though it may be worn as an amulet or attached to a hat, headband, staff, wand, or weapon. It cannot be worn as a ring. The feather focus serves in place of a divine focus whenever she casts a domain spell that requires a divine focus; she cannot cast such spells without her feather focus. If the feather is lost or destroyed, she can enchant one of her own feathers to replace it as part of the usual ritual to replace a lost or destroyed arcane bonded item. She cannot use her feathered wings for any other purpose during the week spent recreating her feather focus.
Feathered Wings (Ex)
A plumed servant gains rainbow-feathered wings like those of a couatl, allowing her to fly as the fly spell for a number of minutes per day equal to her class level. These minutes need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments.
This flight is an extraordinary ability and does not require activation. A plumed serpent may hide her wings beneath loose clothing with a DC 15 Disguise check; this DC is increased by 2 if wearing light armor, by 5 if wearing medium armor, and by 10 if wearing heavy armor, and may be further adjusted by the GM depending on what clothing is worn. This disguise is sufficient to fool casual observation, but creatures carefully examining the plumed serpent can attempt a Perception check opposed by her Disguise check to notice the wings.
Stern Gaze (Ex)
At 2nd level, a plumed servant becomes skilled at sensing deception and intimidating her foes, gaining a morale bonus on Intimidate and Sense Motive checks equal to 1/2 her plumed servant level.
Serpent’s Grace (Ex)
At 3rd level, a plumed servant gains a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. poison and a +2 bonus to their CMD against grapple combat maneuvers. This bonus increases to +4 at 6th level and +6 at 9th level.
Detect Alignment (Sp)
At 4th level, a plumed servant can use detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, or detect law at will. She can only use one of these at any given time.
Elemental Speech (Sp)
At 5th level, a plumed servant can use elemental speechAPG (air only) at will.
Plumeweaving (Su)
At 5th level, a plumed servant learns to craft magical items from feathers as if she possessed the appropriate item creation feats. This is generally limited to wondrous items usually made of cloth or leather, but at the GM’s option a plumed servant can create single-use items equivalent to potions using feathers instead. Such items could be snapped, waved, blown upon, or otherwise triggered rather than being drunk, but rules for using them are otherwise unchanged from using potions. A plumed servant who obtains the assistance of a couatl also may create celestial armor from the couatl’s shed scales and feathers rather than using golden metal in its construction.
In addition, a plumed servant can expend 1 minute of her feathered wings duration as a move action in order to cause her wings to meld into her body, leaving no trace. She may keep her wings hidden for as long as desired but must expend 1 additional minute of their duration as a move action to restore her wings to usability. She also may expend 2 minutes of her feathered wings duration as a move action to double the duration or range (as the Extend Spell and Enlarge Spell feats) of any non-instantaneous, non-permanent spell she casts with the air, good, or law descriptor or that affects movement into or through the air, such as air walk, feather fall, fly, gaseous form, levitate, overland flight, and wind walk.
Detect Thoughts (Sp)
At 7th level, a plumed servant can use detect thoughts at will. She cannot use this at the same she uses her detect alignment ability.
Etherflight (Su)
At 8th level, as a swift or move action a plumed servant can become ethereal (as ethereal jaunt) for up to 1 round per class level each day. These rounds need not be continuous. This ability affects only the plumed servant and cannot be used to make other creatures ethereal.
Timeless Body (Ex)
At 9th level, a plumed servant no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that she has already taken, however, remain in place. Age bonuses still accrue, and she still dies of old age when her time is up.
Perfect Pluma (Ex)
At 10th level, a plumed servant becomes a magical creature. She can use her wings to fly without limitation, and when flying at least 10 feet above the ground she gains the benefit of freedom of movement. She is forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever her creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Unlike other outsiders, a plumed servant can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.
Mythic Plumed Servant Class Features
A mythic plumed servant is a true servant of law and goodness, having learned under the guidance of the wisest, holiest, and most benevolent of the feathered serpents.
Mythic Domain (Ex)
As the cleric mythic class feature of the same name (Mythic Hero’s Handbook 64).
Mythic Feather Focus (Ex)
The mythic plumed servant can acquire a bird or reptile familiar in addition to her bonded feather focus. Alternatively, she may choose to strengthen her existing feather focus, allowing her to cast spells without difficulty even if the feather focus is not worn or held. If it is worn or held, her spells take effect at +1 caster level.
Mythic Feathered Wings (Ex)
The duration she can use her wings is increased to 10 minutes per class level, and she can expend one use of mythic power when activating her wings to either increase this duration to 1 hour per level or to reduce the duration back to 1 minute per level but gain the benefits of mythic flyMAdv. If the mythic plumed servant is at least 5th level, she can expend two uses of mythic power to use the augmented version of mythic fly for 1 minute per level.
Mythic Stern Gaze (Ex)
The mythic plumed servant can make Intimidate checks as a move action, and Sense Motive checks as swift actions.
Mythic Serpent’s Grace (Ex)
At 3rd level, all allies adjacent to the mythic plumed servant gain one-half her serpent’s grace bonuses, and as an immediate action she can provide one adjacent ally the same bonuses she gains from serpent’s grace until the beginning of her next turn.
At 6th level, the mythic plumed servant gains immunity to poison. At 9th level, she gains immunity to being grappled, as if she had continuous freedom of movement (though she does not gain any other effects of that spell).
Mythic Detect Aligment (Sp)
When the mythic plumed servant uses this ability, she gains information each round as if she had maintained the ability for three rounds.
Mythic Elemental Speech (Sp)
The mythic plumed servant adds one-half her mythic tier as a bonus on Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks when interacting with creatures with the air subtype or with a fly speed. When using a language-dependent effect against creatures with the air subtype or a fly speed, she can expend one use of her mythic power to increase the DC of the effect by an amount equal to one-half her mythic tier. If the spell or effect requires a caster level check, she also gains a bonus equal to one-half her mythic tier.
Mythic Plumeweaving (Su)
The mythic plumed servant need not expend any of the duration of her feathered wings in order to meld them into her body or unfurl them again. She must expend 10 minutes of her feathered wings duration as a move action in order to triple the duration of non-instantaneous, non-permanent spells she casts with the air, good, or law descriptor, or the range such spells; she may do this as a swift action by expending 20 minutes of duration or as a free action by expending 30 minutes of duration. If she is using this ability to craft magic items, she can craft up to 5,000 gp per day in value.
Mythic Detect Thoughts (Sp)
The mythic plumed servant can use this ability on her turn as a free action, or as an immediate action when it is not her turn. If she activates this ability as a standard action, she gains information each round as if she had maintained the ability for three rounds.
Mythic Etherflight (Su)
The mythic plumed servant adds her mythic tier to the number of rounds per day she may become ethereal, and she may bring up to two willing allies she is touching along with her if she expends 2 rounds of duration each round she and her allies remain ethereal.
Mythic Timeless Body (Ex)
Any penalties the mythic plumed servant accrued from age are eliminated and her maximum lifespan increases to 999 years or double the maximum lifespan of a creature of her race, whichever is longer.
Mythic Perfect Pluma (Ex)
The plumed serpent may choose to gain DR 10/chaotic, DR 10/evil, or DR 5/chaotic and evil. If she already possesses damage reduction of either types, she increases the amount of that damage reduction by 5 (maximum 15) and adds epic to the type of damage required to overcome her damage reduction. If she is using her plumeweaving ability to craft magic items, she can craft up to 10,000 gp per day in value.