Eclipse – The Golden Ones

The “Priests” of “Uncle Richie” (also known as King Midas, The Almighty Dolla, The Golden One Who’s Hands Drip With Jewels, He Who Teaches Men To Fish, God of Wealth and Self Help Books, The One Who’s Infallible System Will Start You On The Way To Prosperity) are often known as “Favored Nephews”.

Uncle Richie doesn’t grant his priests / salesmen SPELLS. Spells are expensive! They cost a lot of magical power! Instead he grants them self-help books.

And, at least for his “priests”… they work.

Disregarding economic consequences that d20 generally ignores anyway, the major problem with characters who start off with lots of money and have ways to readily get more is pretty simple; why are they risking life and limb in reckless adventuring? You CAN get experience points in other ways too. There are ways to do it with schools, and bards, and even by hiring some ex-adventurer who has defined “leadership” as “teaching” and is gradually leveling up his or her students by releasing their higher-level followers and promoting lower-level ones (at whatever rate the game master is willing to accept as reasonable) – so what is your motive for becoming a long-term adventurer?

Really, I suspect that such characters work best in fairly limited scenarios – the cultists have snatched your young granddaughter to sacrifice, and there is no TIME to hire reputable professional adventurers, so you grab a pile of equipment and go yourself – but if you want to keep playing the character you’ll soon have to find another reason.

That’s not all that difficult (after all, Batman is simply out to stop evildoers and comes fairly close to this style of character) but it may not fit into the standard party very well. It may be best to get a little help from the game master and be destined to go on a mighty quest to save the world or some such.

The best example of this sort of character that comes to mind was an elderly elven Jeweler / Gemcutter who, after hundreds of years of business success, wanted to shake things up in his final years and go out with a bang – so he pulled out his collection of dangerously-enchanted jewelry and unstable magical gems that it would have been grossly unethical to sell, bought some books that promised quick (if insanely dangerous and erratic) magical power, and went forth in search of near-terminal levels of excitement. “Heh-Heh-Heh! BY THE ACCURSED SAPPHIRE SEAL OF FALLEN RIOCHA COME FORTH SPAWN OF THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS!!!!… (to the party) “Command them? I can’t do THAT! WHY AREN’T YOU RUNNING LIKE ME?!?!”.

For this “build”… think Yuppie, Junior Aristocrat, Rich Kid – or even Rich Old Man.

Available Character Points: 48 (L1 Base) +6 (First Level Bonus Feat) +10 (Disadvantages of choice) = 64 CP.

Package Deal: Usually the Pathfinder Package Deal.

Basic Attributes: Int, Con, and Chr 12+ is recommended. Str is usually unimportant.

Basics (22 CP): d8 HD (4 CP), +6 Skill Points (6 CP), +2 Will (6 CP), Proficiency with Simple Weapons and Light Armor (6 CP).

Other Abilities:

• Adept, Corrupted for Increased Effect / At least three skills of the six selected must be practical, non-adventuring skills – Appraise, Craft, Profession, Etc (6 CP).
• Fast Learner, Specialized and Corrupted for Triple Effect (+3 CP/Level) / Only for Skills, only to keep Adept skills maxed out (6 CP).

That covers being reasonably competent and having some useful skills and still leaves 30 CP with which to buy stuff. For this theme… we’ll want Wealth, Equipment, and Skill Enhancements.

So here’s a selection of things you could buy.

Among The 1% (6+ CP):

• Create Item, Specialized and Corrupted/only as a prerequisite (2 CP)
• Harvest of Artifice, Specialized and Corrupted/only for use with Transmutation, only provides cash, user must specify plot-hook sources for his or her funding (2 CP). This provides 100 XP a month that can only be used for “transmutation”. (+1 CP per +50 XP)
  Transmutation, Specialized and Corrupted/only to produce money, never actually occurs on screen (2 CP).
• Net Result: 6 CP: 200 GP/Month for 6 CP, 400 for 8 CP, 800 for 10 CP, 1200 for 12 CP, 1800 for 14 CP. and +300/Month per additional CP. A character who starts with this ability (whether at level one or not) adds ten times his or her monthly income to his or her starting cash. (If you want to convert to dollars, multiply by twenty – so this starts off at about $50,000 per year).
• I wouldn’t really recommend going above 12 CP worth of income for a first level character, but there’s no actual upper limit. This is also pretty basic for this kind of character; they’ve ALL got money.

The Keys To Heaven’s Vault (6 CP):

• Access to the Occult Skill Dream-Binding (3 CP) at normal cost (3 CP).
• This is less useful at low levels, but can rapidly build up to cover some very handy gear.

Great Tracts Of Land (3 or 6 CP, best at higher level):

• Privilege / Landlord: You have assorted local, non-liquid assets – ownership of, or shares in mundane or magical businesses, lands, or structures with a net value of one-half/three-quarters of the base wealth of a PC of the your level for 3/6 CP. Sadly, these cannot (for whatever reason) be converted to cash. You may either use something like Pathfinder’s downtime holdings system or – for the sake of simplicity – get a 5% yearly return on whatever portion of your holdings you devote to getting cash or use 10% (whether in amount or time) of whatever facilities you own. Thus, if you own a shipping company with three ships, you could reasonably divert one for three and a half months (10% of the 36 they will have available this year) to take you and your friends on an expedition – or use 10% of the space in the ships holds to transport your own cargo or some such. Similarly, you can use an office and some of the space in their warehouses.
• In general, this is best used to gain access to various facilities or (if lifestyle costs are in play) to pay for those. Like it or not, 5% of 50% (or even 75%) of your wealth by level each year will not greatly increase your power – but at higher levels it will pay for a nice lifestyle and get you some social influence.

Imperial McMansion (6 CP). May be upgraded to A Mighty Fortress (+6 CP).

• You control a mighty castle or other base, complete with troops, servants, useful facilities, and possibly even things like political connections.
• This is obviously immobile, but the advantages of having a base with various facilities and employees should be fairly obvious.

Lord Of The Manor (6 CP, Minimum Level 15).

• This package gets you a pocket-dimension full or architecture and people that you can carry around with you. You can use a minor variant if you want to bring some tigers or something. This is convenient, and can be a good money-maker, but isn’t a game breaker at this level.
• Siddhisyoga, Specialized for Reduced Cost and Corrupted for Increased Effect (can buy mundane items and creatures that can be manifested into reality) / Only for purchasing “rooms” and “teams” according to Pathfinder’s Downtime System, the maximum value that can be used at any one time is equal to the user’s (Knowledge; Architecture and Engineering x 500) GP, once a structure is “brought out” it cannot be dismissed or modified for at least one minute, user must gesture dramatically to produce and place structures within short range, structures must be appropriately placed (no, you cannot drop houses on the wicked witch), creatures that would be within a structure may make a DC (16 + Cha Mod) Reflex save to pick where in the structure they wind up. Sadly, any external items left “inside” when a room is not manifested count against the user’s encumbrance (3 CP).
• Imbuement. The pocket-dimension facilities gain a Ward Major (from The Practical Enchanter), Specialized for Reduced Cost / never improves past the “+4″ equivalent that it starts at (which, coincidentally, covers the cost of an appropriate level four ward – and is why the minimum level to purchase this power is fifteen, 3 CP). Four Minor Powers:
  • Enduring. The eldritch structures have triple their normal hardness and Spell Resistance 30.
  • Non-Euclidean. The village has many local portals and can be put into places that are completely unreasonable and far too small. Up to one ton of material can be kept in it with no effective encumbrance.
  • Industry: Variant; production is only 5x normal, but anyone working within one of the buildings is presumed to have a relevant set of masterwork tools for the user of their skill(s) and an appropriate workspace.
  • Sustenance: Residents need not eat, sleep or breathe while within the village. Those who get tired and hungry outside it will still need to sleep and eat to fix that, but they will not get hungrier or sleepier while they wait.
• This can be very convenient and very profitable – but it can also be something of a headache for the game master if the character starts dropping architecture into fights. Use with caution.

In Realms Of Fantasy (6 CP):

• Shaping, Corrupted and Specialized for increased (level one and possibly weak level two) effects/can only produce the effects for which the user has the appropriate foci ready, can only support a limited number (seven and three) of minor charms and more notable talismans at one time, charms and talismans take some time to attune for use (6 CP).
• This isn’t an especially powerful option, but Charms and Talismans (From The Practical Enchanter) can be quite convenient – and are nicely flavorful for starting off a game with less awesome powers than the later options.

That Will Cost You (6 CP):

• Presence, Specialized and Corrupted/for Increased Effect/Only works on people who strike the user in melee combat, only once per round per individual / invokes Talons Of The Magpie (User may make a touch attack (automatic in the this case) to steal something from a victim – 2d6 HP (gained as temporary HP and lasting a maximum of one hour), or 4d6 GP (or equivalent in other valuables), or to swipe a random, loose, small item from the target.
• OK, this is silly – but who could resist?

A Doctorate In Philosophy (6 CP):

• Create Relic, Specialized and Corrupted/only for making a Philosophers Stone (2 CP).
• Double Enthusiast, Specialized for Increased Effect and corrupted for Reduced Cost / only for making a philosophers stone (4 CP).
• This allows the user to produce a plentiful supply of first level scrolls and potions, as well as assorted supplies, trade goods, and cash.

The Words Of Creation (2 CP):

• This is expensive, but powerful; it allows you to get services and supplies, accomplish labors, and have henchmen – although this does cost a great deal.
• Siddhisyoga, Specalized and Corrupted / only to purchase and upgrade a Supply Pouch, Rod Of The Imperator (or one of the many variants thereof), or a “Gangsta Wrap” (2 CP)

Genre Savvy (6 CP).

• Access to the Occult Skill Stealing The Scene (3 CP) at Normal Cost (3 CP).
• This is actually quite impressive, as it allows the user to pretty much ride the plot – exploiting the cliches that are inevitably going to appear.

The Luck Of El Diablo (6 CP):

• Luck with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Skills. If you opt to go with the “devices not personal power” theme and corrupt this to require some obvious device, just raise it to eight bonus uses.
• Sinple, straightforward, and incredibly useful when something just HAS to work.

The Luck Of El Diablo II (6 CP):

• Luck with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Saves. If you opt to go with the “devices not personal power” theme and corrupt this to require some obvious device, just raise it to eight bonus uses.
• Another one of the incredibly convenient, if less than dramatic, abilities to have.

Always On Guard (6 CP):

• Reflex Training (Three Extra Actions Per Day variant) with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Defensive or Evasive actions only (6 CP).
• This allows the user to get out of the way, use a protective device, throw a defensive spell, or otherwise get a free chance to save themselves when it hits the fan. A MAJOR survival mechanism.

Those Who Have, Get (12 CP):

• 1d6 (4) Mana with Reality Editing Specialized for Double Effect (Each point counts as two for Reality Editing) Half Cost, Corrupted for Increased Effect (effects may be built up over time via ritual behaviors) / only to produce effects associated with Skills, requires a minimum skill bonus of +5/+10/+15/+25 to make Minor / Notable / Major / Grandiose edits (6 CP)
• Rite of Chi with +8 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / requires five minutes to work, only to restore the Mana pool given above (6 CP).
• This ability allows the user to pull off remarkable feats with simple skill checks – crafting a magical blade with Craft (Blacksmith), steering a ship through a hurricane and into another world with Profession (Sailor), and various similar stunts. If you want to take full advantage of this at higher levels you’ll need a few more dice of Mana.

Talking Your Way Through (6 CP):

• Opportunist / If the character has a relevant skill at +5 or more he or she gets to make an immediate skill check if an appropriate attempt to resolve a situation descriptively fails (6 CP). Thus, if the user was describing how he or she would disarm a bomb by freezing the mechanism with liquid nitrogen, but wound up triggering it… he or she would get an immediate “disable device” check to get it right after all. If he or she was beating it with a hammer, he or she would not get a check at all; that wouldn’t be an appropriate attempt in the first place.

The Mystic Martial Arts (12 CP):

• 2d6 Mana as 4d4 (10) Generic Spell Levels, Specialized and Corrupted / only usable to power mystical martial arts, below (4 CP).
• Immunity/The normal limits of Martial Arts Skills: (Very Common, Severe, Minor, Corrupted / such effects must be powered by the expenditure of either (effect spell level + 1) generic spell levels or a similar number of ranks from the relevant skill (add +1 for an Swift Action or use during an Attack of Opportunity, +2 for an Immediate Action). No skill may be reduced below +0 in this fashion,. Expended skill ranks will return after a days rest, effective casting level equals character level (8 CP).
• This can produce a wide variety of supernatural “martial arts” effects approximating spells of up to level three. Unfortunately, such effects must be in-theme for the martial art skill so employed. Thus the Tiger Style can be used for feats of strength, sprouting or upgrading claws, to make great leaps, to roll with and negate massive blows, to survive falls, to see in the dark, and for other cat-style effects. The Godfire Palm Style offers control of Fire and rapid movement, but few other options.

Words Of Power (Varies):

• Immunity/the normal limits of Knowledges (specifically, having to take physical actions to get results from applying them, although a form of fatigue still applies to the skill, just as it would apply if you used your muscles): A Nymic Master may use his or her Knowledge and Concentration skills to directly manipulate reality, creating spell-like effects upon the things that the knowledge skill covers (Very Common, Severe, variable effect level, see below). Sadly, the more a Nymic Master uses this ability, the greater the distorting backlash against his or her mind – and the more confused he or she will become on the aspect of the universe being manipulated, reducing his or her effective knowledge skill rank.
  • The possible manipulations include Control (Ward Off, Move, Command, Summon), Destroy, Create, and Transmute (Heal, Reshape, Transform). The maximum level of effects which can be produced is set by the lesser of the user’s (Caster Level / 3) or the level of immunity purchased. Nymic Magic is normally a standard action, affects a single target within medium range and has a verbal component, but may be reduced to a swift action for +2 on the cost or to an immediate action for +3, expanded to Long Range for +1 on the cost, affect a 20′ radius for +2 on the cost, or be performed silently for +1 on the cost. Their equivalent of other “metamagic” effects must be built into the effect; it may not be added later. Their effects must also be built without modifiers for XP costs or expensive components, which may increase the levels of their equivalents of spells that normally require such components. Save DC’s are (10 + Effect level + Int Mod).
  • The extent of the confusion / cost in Knowledge Skill Ranks depends on how closely the user is pushing his or her current abilities – dependent on the level of immunity purchased – to their limit.
    • Trivial Immunity (06 CP): L0 spells cost 3 Knowledge Skill Ranks and L1 spells cost 4KSR. Effects of higher level are not yet possible.
    • Minor Immunity (12 CP): L0 spells cost 2KSR, L1 spells cost 3KSR, and L2-3 Spells cost 4KSR. Effects of higher level are not yet possible.
    • Major Immunity (18 CP): L0; spells cost 1KSR, L1 spells 2, L2-3; 3, L4-5; 4. Effects of higher level are not yet possible.
    • Great Immunity (36 CP): L0-1 spells cost 1KSR, L2-3 spells cost 2, L4-5 spells cost 3KSR, and L6-7 cost 4KSR. Effects of higher level are not yet possible.
    • Epic Immunity (54 CP): L0-3 spells cost 1KSR, L4-5 spells cost 2KSR, L6-7 spells cost 3KSR, and spells of L8-9 (generally only available at epic levels) cost 4KSR. Effects of higher level are not yet possible. They might be achievable through Legendary Resistance (and very high caster levels) however; but whether or not to allow this is up to the game master.
  • Unfortunately, only the targets permanent base skill score (purchased ranks plus attribute bonus and feat-based enhancements) can be used to power magic – and the total base score cannot be reduced below +1. The user may, however, expend Concentration Skill Ranks in the place of any other knowledge skill and may also drop plusses from any actual true names that he or she happens to know (Eclipse, Pg 10, upper right column; normally a +4). A single reduced skill may be restored per hours sleep or quiet study and meditation.

Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys? (6+ CP):

• This package turns various limited-use innate magical abilities into charms, fetishes, potions, dusts, bags that “contain” spells, strange crystals, and even quasi-technological gadgets. This is a VERY powerful effect, and is likely to be a major sources of a higher-level “Nephews” special abilities.
• Create Relic: Specialized and Corrupted / only to make limited-use items (Apply “Specialized / Does Not Recover to the items created, only select abilities that normally offer a limited number of daily uses) costing a maximum of 3 CP each, only using points from Enthusiast (2 CP).
• Double Enthusiast, Specialized for Increased Effect (provides four floating CP) and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / points may only be used with Create Relic, limited as above (4 CP).
• Expanded: Enthusiast, Specialized and Corrupted (+1 CP for Relic Creation per CP).
• The basic package gets you 4 CP worth of relics to start with – with the various limitations, enough to get you quite a few gadgets to play with. Another 6 CP worth will get you a small magical arsenal.

For some examples:

Spell Talismans:

• Innate Spell with Multiple Uses:
  • Two L1 Effects: 6 Uses Each (1 CP), 14 Uses Each (2 CP), 22 Uses Each (3 CP).
  • L2 Effect: 6 Uses (1 CP), 14 Uses (2 CP), 22 Uses (3 CP).
  • L3 Effect: 5 Uses (1 CP), 13 Uses (2 CP), 21 Uses (3 cp).
  • Related L3 and L4 Effect (1 CP), either 5 Uses of Each or a Related L5 and L6 Effect (2 CP), 9 Uses Each of a related L3 and L4 effect (3 CP).
  • Related Set: One effect of each level 3-7 (3 CP).
• Unfortunately, this doesn’t bypass the level requirements for using innate spells, so low-level artificers must wait a while before using the high-level stuff. On the other hand, there’s nothing at all wrong with taking along a plentiful supply of Multiplying Shuriken (Magic Missile), Rainbow Crystals (Color Spray), Healing Draughts (Cure Light Wounds), and Origami Golems (Unseen Servants) on your early adventures.

Curative Ointment.

• Healing Touch with Bonus Uses (enough to cure (5 x Chr Mod x Level HP) and Improved/Switch/Empower with Bonus Uses to provide (4+Level/3) total uses of Remove Disease, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Cure Serious Wounds, Remove Curse, Neutralize Poison, and Restoration (3 CP).
• Curative ointment isn’t all that level-dependent, so a low-level party may find having a pot along very VERY helpful.

Sorcerer’s Bag:

• Improved Occult Talent, Corrupted for Increased Effect (spell level) / slots must be preset. provides 5L1 and 3L2 charms/fetishes/scrolls/whatever with whatever you like in them for (1 CP).
• That’s not as many uses as you can get from Innate Spell, but you do get a wide variety of effects. This is taking cheesy advantage of the rounding rule, but Improved Occult Talent is not likely to break the game.

Ring of Whispered Wishes:

• 6d6 Mana with Reality Editing, Corrupted / cannot be used for other purposes (3 CP).
• This useful little item answers small wishes – that there be something solid to catch onto when you’re sliding towards the cliff, that an opponent suffer some brief disadvantage, that a spell operate in a way it really shouldn’t or pierce that spell resistance. There’s usually enough power for none or ten very minor requests, but larger boons expend the rings power far more rapidly.

 

• Someone with this package makes a wonderful seller of potions and items that provide more uses of your own abilities, rather than independent abilities. Even better, they don’t need expensive ingredients, or to spend experience points, or to have all kinds of spell formula available. If you kill them, their stock ceases to work. If you steal their stock, it will soon cease to work as they invest their Enthusiast points in making some new stock. You can’t even accumulate it, because unused purchases will lose their power after some agreed-on date (when they make new stuff). On the other hand, buying from them can be quite inexpensive.