Mind Pirate [Base]

[Bozwevial]

I was asking more along the lines of the skill and feat theft abilities.

[phaedrusxy]

Oh... Hrm... Yeah, that and the SLA and Su abilities... I'll have to come up with something there. Any ideas? Since you can try to steal something with every attack, I guess I could say you need to guess... But that's a bit nutty. Hmm... maybe the Mind Pirate could first steal a rough idea of what abilities the target has, and then use a follow-up attack to steal something specific from the list. Of course... what happens to the target if the Mind Pirate steals its overall knowledge of its abilities? That's not really a single memory/thought, is it?

I'm not sure how to handle this. Maybe I'll just make it explicit that the Mind Pirate must first make an attack to "test the waters", which grants it an idea of what abilities the target has, and can then follow up with an attack to steal one. Just getting a list of what feats or skills (or SLAs or Su powers) the target has could be incredibly useful from an information gathering sense, right? I mean hell it's like making a super high knowledge check against them, with my house rules.

Hmm... you know, maybe I'll get rid of the first Steal Memory (random) ability, and instead replace it with this. I've always disliked that first ability, anyway.

How about:

Steal Memory (Appraisal) (Su): The Mind Pirate can steal a basic inventory of a specific type of memories or abilities the target has. This allows her to know which memories that the target has that she might want to steal with a later attack. She may gain basic knowledge of one of the following with a single Appraisal: which skills the target has, a list of feats, spell-like abilities, prepared or known spells, or supernatural abilities the target has, or other kinds of knowledge (for instance, whether the target knows anything about spies in the King's court). The target may resist such a probing with a Will save (DC 10+1/2 Mind Pirate's level + Mind Pirate's charisma modifier).

Due to the general nature of such knowledge, the Mind Pirate cannot actually remove it from the target's mind. The target still retains all knowledge and use of its abilities even on a failed save against this ability.

[Bozwevial]

That seems like a reasonable thing to do.

[sirpercival]

I've been meaning to mention: other possible high level abilities could be like Download, Erase, and Upload Mind from Neuromancer, or at least you could pillage it for ideas.

[phaedrusxy]

I changed the 1st level Steal Memory to be an Appraisal. I think the wording could use some work, though. Anything else that remains unclear or needs fixing?

[Maat Mons]

… but Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and Styx is the river of hate …

[Bozwevial]

… but Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and Styx is the river of hate …

Normally, yes, but the writers kind of tossed the former aside when they put together the Fiendish Codex.

[phaedrusxy]

… but Lethe is the river of forgetfulness and Styx is the river of hate …

Not in D&D it's not!!

[Garryl]

I just finished reading through this class. It looks great!

[phaedrusxy]

I just finished reading through this class. It looks great!

Wow, thanks! Given how good your criticism on homebrew usually is, I'll take the lack of it as a compliment (or maybe you were just busy ).

[Garryl]

It just works. The class is a complete thing, with abilities for a variety of situations and flavor baked into its abilities.

On rereading, there are a few issues. It occurs to me that returning to the Styx can be difficult until you gain access to planar travel. I seem to remember only Styx existing on one specific plane, despite allowing you to sail it to any other. Away from my DMG at the moment, unfortunately, so I can't confirm.

Tabula Rasa needs to bypass Inoculated Mind somehow. Probably best to let Inoculated Mind just prevent your memories from being unwillingly altered, instead of complete immunity.

Planar Barge, Plumb the Depths, Planar Admiral, and Thought Falls, Reason Rises do not mention in the text what levels they are gained at, unlike the rest of the class features.

Also, according to the link you provided, it's Mindrape (one word, not two).

Okay, big thing. How exactly do the Steal Memory abilities work? (Speaking of which, they should probably be merged into one ability with sub-abilities, similar to Bardic Music.) Conceptually, I would expect it to work similar to the Spellthief's Steal Spell ability and related class features, but nothing says so. They aren't linked to Sneak Attacks/Sapping Strikes, nor do they have ranges for their effects that would be required for independent use. The few that do refer to Spellthief abilities still don't actually work as you have no Sneak Attack to forgo. Presumably Sapping Strike is meant to count as Sneak Attack damage dice for this purpose, but it doesn't as written.

Greater Sapping Strike should say "the DC to remove this negative level" not "this attack".

[phaedrusxy]

I addressed your comments, Garryl. As for how Steal Memory works, it is triggered after a successful attack which deals Sapping Strike or Greater Sapping Strike damage. This was noted in the original, and I preserved it in the new write-up of Steal Memory, which has been condensed into one ability with which you get more options at higher levels (which was the original intent, I just hadn't written it up that way).

[Garryl]

Steal Memory (feat) is still it's own ability. Also, any news on how lower level Mind Pirates can skip over to the Styx to replace their lost weapons?

[phaedrusxy]

Steal Memory (feat) is still it's own ability. Also, any news on how lower level Mind Pirates can skip over to the Styx to replace their lost weapons?

It flows through every layer of every lower plane. So if they can get to any lower plane, they can get to the river. It could be a quest! It's not like they're completely crippled without it, anyway.

I guess I could put in a price for how much it would typically cost them to buy enough water, but I'd really rather keep it abstract instead of turning it into yet another anonymous gold piece price...

[phaedrusxy]

A more sane version of the Thought Bottle (it only stores memories). I should say that I copied the text below from another webpage, for what looked to be a different game than D&D, but I didn't save a link.

Thought Bottle

This item usually takes the form of a metal flask similar in appearance to an efreeti bottle. Bottle and stopper are usually engraved with intricate runes. The bottle can be used to store and protect important memories and thoughts, and is often used by powerful characters as a way of managing their (potentially cluttered) memories.

To use the bottle, a character concentrates on the thought or memory to be stored. He then uncorks the bottle and speaks the word of command. The thought or memory is then transferred from the character's brain into the bottle. All details of the thought or memory are held within the bottle. The caster remembers the general nature of the thought ("Oh, that was my thought on the design of an efreeti-powered steam engine") but need not worry about forget- ting specific details, since these are trapped in the thought bottle.

To retrieve a thought, a character uncorks the bottle and speaks another word of command. The thought or memory is then transferred directly into the user's brain.

Thought bottles are sometimes used to protect vital information. A messenger carrying vital plans through enemy territory where there is a significant chance of capture and subsequent interrogation might carry all sensitive plans in one or more bottles. The messenger does not know the contents or the command word and therefore cannot reveal the contents of the bottles. Likewise, a spy could gain secret information, transfer it to a thought bottle, then use forget or modify memory to wipe this information from his mind. After this, regardless of the methods used, the spy is incapable of revealing the sensitive information.

Thought bottles are sometimes used as "memory archives," where characters can save memories that are "cluttering up" their minds. (This would be more of a problem for long-lived races such as elves, since the sheer volume of memories recorded over several centuries could be overwhelming.)

Thought bottles will function (in both storage and retrieval) for any intelligent creature.

When discovered, 75% of all thought bottles can hold only a single thought or memory. The remaining 25% have a capacity of 2d4 separate thoughts or memories. There is a separate word of command for each "thought slot."

Market Price: 2500 gp
Prerequisites to make: 1250 gp, 500 XP, Steal Memory class feature or Modify Memory spell.

An alternate version which holds all the memories of the person is 5000 gp.

[phaedrusxy]

Example build

The Fairy Queen

Magic-blooded Half-fey Forest Gnome Mind Pirate 16

Ability scores (Elite Array)

Str 8 (10-2 race)
Dex 16 (12+4 race)
Con 18 (13+1level+4enh)
Int 14
Wis 8
Cha 28 (15+3levels+6 race+4enh)

Feats: Charming the Arrow, Magic in the Blood, ?

Skills: Maxed ranks in Lucid Dreaming

Spellcasting: spells known and per day as 16th level bard (up to 6th level), but spells drawn from the wizard/sorcerer spell schools of abjuration, divination, necromancy, illusion, or enchantment.

SLAs: Charm person at will, hypnotism 3/day, Detect law 3/day, Protection from law 3/day, Eyebite or lesser geas 3/day, Mass invisibility 3/day, Faerie fire or glitterdust 3/day, Enthrall or sleep 3/day, Confusion or emotion 3/day, Dominate person or hold monster 3/day, Geas/quest or mass suggestion 3/day, Find the Path 3/day, Psychic Reformation 3/day, Plane Shift (entire boat) 3/day

Tactics: Try to lure enemies onto your yacht by peppering them with arrows and spells (and via the Captivating Songs of your minions). Once they board it, use your Planar Admiral ability to take the boat (and them) to the Plane of Dreams, where you can use the full power of your Lucid Dreaming skill against them...

Minions: 2 harpies (add class levels if they aren't strong enough "out of the box")

Equipment:
Styx-born Weapon: +1 Eager, Warning, Smoking, Spellstoring longbow with Suppression arrows(rework as arcane instead of psionic)

A large boat of some kind.

Eldritch Master might be a decent PrC to consider.

[phaedrusxy]

I added a really minor tweak to the class, giving it the ability to make undead flee with its Sapping Strike (as with Chill Touch). Otherwise, they're pretty terrible against undead in general... which wouldn't be that bad... (looking at you, rogues) except flavor-wise, they probably should have some kind of ability to affect them.

[phaedrusxy]

This is how I'd update this to 5e: make it a bard archetype.

3rd Level - Styx-Forged Blade

As a ritual that takes 1 hour, the Bard imbues the magical powers of the Styx into a melee weapon that they are proficient with. This gives the following abilities:

• Channeling: When attacking with a spell with a range of touch, the Mind Pirate may add the damage from their Styx-forged Blade as a bonus action as if they had attacked with it (this does not require a separate attack roll, it is part of the touch attack from the spell).
• Focus: They may use that weapon as a spellcasting focus.
• The bard may only have one Styx-forged Blade at a time, and if their current one is lost or destroyed, they can imbue a new one by repeating the ritual on another.

3rd Level - Expanded Spell list
The Mind Pirate may choose spells from the sorcerer or wizard spell lists in the necromancy school.


6th Level - Water Breathing and Walking:

• Add Water Breathing and Water Walk to their spells known, and they can cast each once per day without using a spellslot.

9th Level - Mind Shielding:

• Their Styx-forged weapon now also has the properties of a Ring of Mind Shielding. Any spell used to bring them back from the dead does not need the normal material component as long as the caster has the weapon at hand.

14th Level - Sky Barge:

• At 14th level, the Mind Pirate can bestow upon any barge or other small ship he captains the ability to fly with a speed of 60' for as long as she is at the helm.

17th Level - Planar Barge:

• Add Gate to the bard's list of spells known, and while at their Sky Barge's helm they may cast it once per Long Rest for free to facilitate planar travel with the ship and occupants.

[phaedrusxy]

Here's a new spell that creates a "Manchurian Candidate":

Triggered Domination
Level" 6 (bard), 7 (sorcerer/wizard/mind domain/psionic (telepath) power)
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a drop of blood and a fragment of the target’s hair)
Duration: Until triggered (up to 30 days); once triggered, up to 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Description:
Triggered Domination allows the caster to implant a powerful compulsion or memory within the mind of the target. The implanted suggestion or command remains dormant until a specific event or condition—determined by the caster—activates it. Upon activation, the target follows the implanted suggestion as if under the effects of a dominate person spell or acts according to the modified memory or belief.

Spell Effects:
Memory Implantation (Optional): The caster may alter or implant memories in the target, changing their perception of past events to align with the caster’s narrative. The memory may be mundane or include specific details designed to control the target’s actions or beliefs. These memories may seem entirely natural to the target until the spell is dispelled or the memory is contradicted by undeniable evidence.

Trigger Condition: The caster sets a specific trigger event or condition that activates the spell. This trigger could be something the target experiences, such as hearing a particular phrase, seeing a specific object, or meeting a certain individual. The trigger can be as simple or complex as the caster desires.

Compulsion Upon Activation: Once triggered, the target is compelled to follow the implanted suggestion or command for up to 1 hour/level, as per a dominate person spell. The command can be as detailed as the caster wishes, including complex instructions that the target will follow to the best of their ability.

Command Resistance: While under the compulsion, the target may attempt a Will save once per day to break free. A successful save ends the compulsion, though the memory alteration (if any) remains.

Additional Notes:
Complex Commands: The caster can give multi-step instructions or conditional behaviors, such as “wait until the Queen is alone, then confront her with these accusations and flee when the guards approach.”

Memory Layers: The spell may also suppress memories related to the spell’s casting, so the target has no recollection of being enchanted or controlled. The target may not even know that the trigger exists, making this spell exceptionally difficult to detect before activation.