Lunatic Lancer
The moon is red. I'll kill you for sure.-Remilia Scarlet, vampire Lunatic Lancer
Polearms come in all sort of forms, but they all share some things in common: Dangerous extremity at the end of a long shaft, in order to strike your opponent before they can reach you with more convenential weapons.
Usually polearms are made of simple materials like wood and metal, sometimes bone and stone. Until one day someone managed to condense the moon beams into a polearm made of pure Force energy, the dangerous Thunder Lance. Able to grow or shrink instantly as needed, able to pierce trough the strongest defenses, some would say is the ultimate polearm.
A Lunatic Lancer is someone who dedicates herself in mastering the mighty Thunder Lance, being able to control its mystic essence better to impale her enemies whitout mercy.
BECOMING A LUNATIC LANCER Arcane casters can follow this path whitout much trouble if they dedicate some effort into the martial ability of skwewering their enemy to strike another behind.
Martial adepts can also become Lunatic Lancers if they're willing to dabble into other classes to gain the necessary skill in Spellcraft to create and shape their own Thunder Lances. Swordsages in particular are already adept at learning mystic maneuvers.
More esoteric Martial Adepts like the
Eternal Royal and
Scholar can easily become Lunatic Lancers as well.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS :Able to cast at least 4th level arcane spells, at least three of which must be [Force] OR Able to initiate 4th level maneuvers, at least three of which must be Supernatural.
:At least 10 ranks in Spellcraft.
:Cleave Feat
:Must have impaled at least seven sentient creatures into polearms under a full moon in the same night, and disposed them in a circle.
Class Skills The Lunatic Lancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance(Dex), Bluff(Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information(Cha), Handle Animal(Cha), Hide(Dex), Intimidate(Cha), Knowledge (Int, any), Move Silently(Dex), Perform(Cha), Spellcraft(Int), Tumble(Dex)
Skills Points at Each Level : 4 + Int
Hit Dice: d8
Level | Base
Attack Bonus | Fort
Save | Ref
Save | Will
Save |
Special |
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Soul Spear, Killing Zone |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Lunatic Break, Fate Continued |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Focused Spear, Fate Continued |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Lunatic Thrust, Fate Continued |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Seeking Spear, Fate Continued |
| 6th | +6 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Force Break |
| 7th | +7 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Scarlet Spear, Fate Continued |
| 8th | +8 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Lunatic Impale, Fate Continued |
| 9th | +9 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Fated Strike, Fate Continued |
| 10th | +10 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Spear Bomb, Blood Moon, Fate Continued |
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Lunatic Lancer gains no new weapon and armour proficiencies.
Soul Spear (Su): The first ability learned by a Lunatic Lancer, to focus her inner energies in a deadly lance of force.
At 1st level a Lunatic Lancer can, as an immediate action, create a Thunderlance effect as the spell on herself with CL=HD. Using this ability demands either expending a 4th level spell slot/prepared spell or a 4th level maneuver. If you activated this ability by expending a spell it lasts 1 minute/CL instead of the normal duration(1 round/CL). If you activated this ability by expending a maneuver, it ends earlier if you recover or unready said maneuver.
In addition, since you draw the Soul Spear from your very core, you can atempt to activate/maintain it even inside an AMF or similar effect, by suceeding on a CL check against the CL of the AMF. Once you've suceeded once you don't need to check anymore for the duration of this Soul Spear, and you add your Charisma modifier to this check (minimum +1).
Many abilities below require the use of your Soul Spear ability to function. You can perform Strikes with a Soul Spear just as if it was a normal manufactured weapon. The Soul Spear can also count as a Spear or Javelin for maneuvers and feats that specifically only work with this kind of weapon (so for example Weapon Focus-Spear would grant you a +1 bonus on attack rolls with your Soul Spear).
Killing Zone(Su):As she grows in power and skill, a Lunatic Lancer can make her unique weapon reach farther. For every Lunatic Lancer level, her Soul Spear can grow an extra 5 feet, up to an extra 50 feet at 10th level.
Lunatic Break(Su):At 2nd level, the Lunatic Spear can dispel any defensive spell on the target as if it was a Force effect, rolling a dispel check with CL=HD. "Defensive" meaning any spell that makes it harder for the creature to be hit by physical attacks.
In addition the Lunatic Lancer can dispel specific magic area effects whitin reach of her Soul Spear as an attack action, rolling a dispel check with CL=HD. She may also attempt to dispel a specific spell she has identified on an enemy whitin reach of her Soul Spear as an attack action, whitout needing to hit the creature itself. She must expend a prepared spell or maneuver of the same level or higher to attempt this (but not for the first option).
Fate Continued (Sp) At second level and every other following level except sixth, a Lunatic Lancer gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable)
or new maneuvers/stances known and readied as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting/initiating class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class level. She does not, however, gain any other benefi t a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on). This must be the class which allowed her to qualify for this Prc.
In addition all Lunatic Lancer levels but first and sixth either advance your CL for the chosen class or grant full IL instead of just half for the maneuvers granted by the chosen class.
Focused Spear(Su):Advanced Lunatic Lancers can further enanche their Soul Spears by investing even more of their inner energy on it. At third level the Lunatic Lancer can create her Soul Spear by expending a 5th level or higher spell/maneuver. If she does so, her Soul Spear gains an enanchment bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the excess level of the expended spell/maneuver.
So for example by expending a 5th level spell/maneuver, the Thunderlance would get a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, while expending an 8th level spell/maneuver would grant a +4 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Plus the Soul Spear can now dispel Force effects up to the level of the expended Spell/maneuver (this stacks with Lunatic break).
In addition you can choose up to the enhancement bonus in special abilities from the following table
|
| Enhancement cost | Abilities available |
| +1 | Keen, Defending, Vicious, Merciful, Thundering, Mighty Cleaving |
| +2 | Holy, Unholy, Anarchic, Axiomatic, Wounding |
| +3 | Speed |
| +4 | Dancing, Brilliant Energy |
So for example, by expending an 8th level maneuver, you could create an Anarchic, Unholy Soul Spear, or a Keen, Defending, Vicious, Thundering Soul Spear, or a Speed, Mighty Cleaving Soul Spear, or yet a Dancing Soul Spear.
The abilities are chosen when the Soul Spear is created and cannot be changed for its duration, but you may pick new ones when you create a new Soul Spear.
Lunatic Thrust(Ex):A Soul Spear allows the wielder to perform all kind of fancy maneuvers when one starts to get the hang of it.
At fourth level whenever the Lunatic Lancer hits in melee an enemy with her Soul Spear, she may perform a trip, bullrush, disarm or sunder attempt as a free action whitout provoking attacks of opportunity, and if she fails the opponent cannot trip/disarm back. Add the soul spear's enanchment bonus (if any) to any opposed checks. You cannot trip an already tripped opponent, so this doesn't result in infinite attacks with Improved Trip.
Seeking Spear (Ex): Soon enough the Lunatic Lancer's weapon seems to be drawn itself towards the enemy inner energies, which happen to be near their vital organs.
At fifth level the Soul Spear ignores cover and concealment smaller than total. In addition it can be throwed as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 40 feet, ignoring adverse wind conditions and instantly returning to the Lunatic Lancer's hand whetever it hits or misses. It ignores adverse wind conditions, even magic ones like Wind Wall.
Force Break (Ex):A soul spear grows with its owner to become able to pierce the strongest defenses, in particular ones based on force energy.
At sixth level you can now add the highest of your Str/Int/Cha modifier to dispel checks performed by your Soul Spear and the number of Aoos you can make per round. You may also as a free action declare one attack per round made by your force Spear to be a touch attack, but you must do so before rolling the attack.
In addition when attacking an enemy protected by a Force effect, you may attempt to dispel it as part of the attack before you check if you hit or not.
Finally if there's a static Force effect in your reach such as a Wall of Force or Forcecage, you may attempt to dispel it as an attack of opportunity.
Scarlet Spear (Ex):You know what good are spears for? Sticking them into other people. Making the sharp end come out from the other side. And then sticking them into yet another body. And another And...
At seventh level as a standard action the Lunatic Lancer can perform a special melee attack where she affects all opponents in a line with length up to her reach. Roll once and compare to each target's AC.
In alternative as a fullround action she can grow her soul spear to a massive size and throw it! Perform a thrown attack against all enemies in a line up to 400 feet long. Roll once and compare to each target's AC.
Lunatic Impale (Su): Tales of Lunatic Lancers making gardens of skewered enemies held in mid-air by their weapons are clearly just propaganda from envious rivals.
At eight level, whenever you damage an opponent with your Soul Spear, you may choose to let it go as a free action. If you do, enemies damaged by your last Soul Spear attack(including Scarlet Spear) count as grappled by you as they remain skwered by your Soul Spear, except you don't need to spend any actions or take any grappling penalties, and can actually go to your life.
Enemies may attempt to escape as from a regular grapple(the spear has the same bonus as you), except that failed attempts deal them damage as if they were hit by a basic attack from your Soul Spear. You add the Soul Spear enanchment bonus to such opposed grapple checks. If they suceed, the part of the Soul Spear where they were impaled shatters, freeing them. Enemies stuck by a Lunatic Impale cannot use dimensional travel, neither can them auto-escape with Freedom of Movement, because they're with a force stick inside them.
A Soul Spear used for a Lunatic Impale persists indefenetely, altough it will solidify into common rock or metal(your choice) after 24 hours, if not broken before.
Once you've used Lunatic Impale, you can't use that Soul Spear anymore, but can create a new one for combat as normal. You can perform multiple Lunatic Impales in a single enemy.
Lunatic Impale can count as Improved Grab in other to qualify for feats that demand it.
Fated Strike (Su):A Soul Spear never stops growing more hungry for your enemy innards. At 9th level as an immediate action your next attack with your Soul Spear whitin 1 round benefits from a True Strike effect, ignores all DR and hardness and automatically confirms critical hits. Against enemies normally immune to critical hits, it instead threatens and confirms as normal.
Once you've used Fated Strike, you can't use it again for 1d4+1 rounds. No Immediate or free actions may be taken against a
Fated Strike. In other words, once you declare an attack and your target after using Fated Strike, nobody else may take immediate or free actions.
Spear Bomb (Su): The Ultimate tecnhique of a Lunatic Lancer overloards her Soul Spear with energy before throwing it for a massive blast of searing power!
As a fullround action 3/day make a ranged touch attack. If you hit, you deal normal Soul Spear damage to your target, then automatically dispel all Force effects whitin a radius up to 70 feet, creatures whitin that radius take 1d8 force damage per CL/IL (whichever's higher) you have and must make a Fort, Reflex and Will save with DC 10+1/2 HD+Str/Int/Cha modifier, whichever's higher.
The first target of your Soul Spear takes a -2 penalty on all those saves.
If they fail one save they receive one negative level and can only take one standard, swift or move action next round as they stagger to recover from the flast.
If they fail two saves they receive two negative levels and cannot act at all next round. Even enemies normally immune to energy drain receive one negative level.
If they fail three saves they're instantly destroyed or three negative levels and incapacitated for 24 hours, your choice.
Using Spear Bomb consumes your Soul Spear. You cannot use Spear Bomb again unless you've spent at least two rounds with a new Soul Spear.
Blood Moon (Su): Nowhere else can a master Lunatic Mancer show her art better than while bathing in the night moon rays. At 10th level, if the Lunatic Lancer creates a Soul Spear while there's a Full Moon in view, its enhancement bonus is one higher than it would normally be. If it is a full red moon, then its enhancement bonus is two higher than it would normally be instead. This applies to both attack and damage rolls and gaining extra special properties, as in Focused Spear.
PLAYING A LUNATIC LANCER You still follow your old path of mysticism, but now wield a weapon with an unique combination of elegance and cruelty.
Combat:Your Soul Spear gives you unrivaled reach and several tricks to hinder your opponents as they try to close in. Unlike polearms, it doesn't have a "blind" spot either. You can adapt it for the situation at hand as you summon it, and is particularly effective against enemies that would rely on Force wards.
Eventually you can ignore most reach and concealment, making sure your enemy can't hide behind simple obstacles.
You also keep advancing your old abilities to a degree, which can then be invested into making your Soul Spear even stronger.
Lunatic Impale allows you to lock an enemy in place and laugh as they try to free themselves. Nothing stops you from creating a new spear and impaling them again. And again. And again.
Fated Strike makes sure you can land a good blow when you need it, and finally Spear Bomb allows you to purge an area when the going gets tough.
Advancement:The Lunatic Lancer doesn't tie you to any particularly path. You may take just one level for being able to reliably create your personal Soul Spear, or all levels to fully unlock its power. You can then go back to pursuing your mystic arts, or perhaps seek other Prcs to further enanche your melee ability.
Resources: Your Soul Spear is not only a great instrument for the art of killing, it can also make short work of any Force effects you find that may otherwise pose a significant obstacle. You also keep advancing your old magic, be it scroll or blade based, ensuring you extra versatility and utility.
LUNATIC LANCERS IN THE WORLD The moon gave many powers to beings of the earth.
Many of them, such as magic, were originally the moon's power.
Does your weapon depend on the moon as well?
Hmm, Miss VAMPIRE? -Kaguya Houraisan, Lunatic Princess mistress
At first glance nobody may recognize a Lunatic Lancer, but once she summons her Soul Spear, fear or caution are the most common reactions. A weapon that can grow almost instantly to impale you in specially gruseome ways tends to do that.
Daily Life: You probably have a preference for the night, in particular when there's a full moon You may appear harmless, and can actually pass as what you were before most of the time, but if someone pisses you off you can quickly bring out your Soul Spear to punish them.
Notables: The "young" Remilia Scarlet is currently one of the most renowed Lunatic Lancers in existence. After spending around a century in her mansion training with her assassin maid and arcane librarian, she has refined her skill with the Soul Spear to new heights. Nowadays she'll actually only bring it out againt opponents she deems worthy enough, and such battles eventually atract great audiences to see her exquisite skill.
Organizations: Lunatic Lancers aren't the most gregarious of beings, as half the point of the Soul Spear is to keep others at bay. The Scarlet Mansion where Remilia lives is rumored to take some disciples now and then, but good luck finding it to start with.
What is more common is Lunatic Lancers appearing in the midst of martial or arcane groups, as some members want to stand out from the others. Once they've learned the art of the Soul Spear, they inevitably rise to positions of prestige or leave to start their own groups.
NPC Reaction She has a long, glowing, sharp stick. Better not to mess with her. Masses of commoners tremble before her and whisper tales of how Lunatic Lancers impale first and ask questions later.
LUNATIC LANCERS IN THE GAME The Lunatic Lancer delays your martial/arcane caster progression somewhat, but provides an unique weapon that allows for great area control.
Adaptation: The Lunatic Lancer shouldn't need too much adaptation. Mystic personal weapons are a staple of fantasy stories after all. It can be refluffed as coming from a personal magic trinket if people don't like the idea of martial adepts creating magic weapons out of nowhere.
Encounters: Lunatic Lancers can usually be find as dangerous loners, or the leaders of powerful organizations, as well as elite warriors, gishes and bodyguards to important figures.[/td][/tr][/table]
