Pale Master
Description: (Prestige Class) Necromancy is usually a poor choice for arcane spellcasters. Those who really want to master the deathless arts almost always pursue divine means. However, an alternative exists for those who desire power over undead, without losing too much of their arcane power. Enter the pale master, who draws on a font of special lore that provides a macabre power all its own.
Hit Die: d6
Base Attack Bonus: 1/2 levels
Proficiencies: None
Skill Points: 2 + Int mod
Skills: Concentration, Craft Armor, Craft Trap, Craft Weapon, Heal, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Persuade, Spellcraft
Selectable Class Feats: Ambidexterity, Deflect Arrows
Primary Saving Throw(s): Fortitude, Will
Requirements
Alignment: Any non-good
Arcane Spellcasting: Level 3 or higher
Special Abilities & Feats
- Level 1 Bone Skin
- Level 2 Animate Dead
- Level 3 Darkvision
- Level 4 Summon Undead
- Level 5 Deathless Vigor
- Level 6 Undead Graft I (see notes)
- Level 7 Tough as Bone
- Level 8 Undead Graft II
- Level 9 Summon Greater Undead
- Level 10 Deathless Master Touch, Deathless Mastery
Epic Pale Master
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points: 2 + Int mod
Bonus Feats: 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28
Epic Bonus Feats: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Epic Energy Resistance, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Epic spell: dragon knight, Epic spell: greater ruin, Epic spell: hellball, Epic spell: epic mage armor, Epic spell: mummy dust, Epic spell: epic warding, Improved Combat Casting
Epic Selectable Class Feats: Blinding Speed
Spellcasting
Every odd level, a pale master progresses in his knowledge of magic as if having gained one level in his primary casting class. This progress is in terms of spell levels and spell slots available. A wizard can learn from scrolls to add spells to his or her spellbook in order to take advantage of new spell levels. A sorcerer or bard, however, will have to level again as a sorcerer or bard in order to learn spells for these new levels. New spell slots can still be filled by preparing spells already known with metamagic feats, however.
In standard NWN, this progression does not affect caster level, which can determine damage, duration, and spell penetration. In Avlis, hooked spells take pale master levels into account for determining caster level - one caster level per two pale master levels (every odd level). However, this only affects damage and duration for hooked spells, dispelling another caster's spells, and spell penetration, but not dispel resistance.
Summon Control
The Pale Master has some ability to select the creature summoned by the summon undead abilities. This is a sub-feature of the overrall Summon Control system.
Notes
- Requires Hordes of the Underdark.
- Pale Masters can take Epic Spells at level 15 even if they only have 3 levels of an arcane class. They can also take epic spells with Epic Bonus Feats (after level 15) provided they meet the Spellcraft requirements. The duration of the spells will be based on Pale Master levels.
- At 6th level an Avlis Pale Master gets a +4 bonus to strength per standard D&D rule. As of NWN:EE, the strength bonus no longer counts towards the NWN:Ability cap but instead is added as an inherent bonus.