Bloodline Scion (Apath)
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Bloodline scions have a supernatural heritage that is part of the legend of their house. If they carry heraldry, it often incorporates the theme of the bloodline, and bloodline scions have the ability to magically manifest the power of their bloodline. The bloodline scion is rare even in a house with a magical bloodline; most scions of the house will not be natural magicians. Their powers are similar to sorcerers, but the magical might of the bloodline scion is less than that of a true sorcerer. It is said that the bloodline scion develops her rank and station instead of fully expressing the inhuman power in her blood. In some societies, those who show certain bloodline magic are automatically elevated to nobility, an honor which paradoxically limits their magical power and puts them under the eye of their peers.
Class Information
This is a prestige archetype. The bloodline scion is a noble who draws magical power from her heritage.
Publisher: Purple Duck Games.
Prestige Class: Noble Scion
Build Class: Sorcerer.
Role: A bloodline scion is usually the face of her party, and draws on both skills and magic during adventures. Lacking the raw power of a sorcerer, she leans on her wits as much as on her might.
Alignment: Any. A bloodline scion is often open about her preferences, daring anyone to protest and face her wrath.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The bloodline scion's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
| Level | Spells Known | ||||||
| Zero | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — |
| 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 11 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — |
| 13 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 14 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 15 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — |
| 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 18 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 19 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 20 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
The bloodline scion has all the class features of the sorcerer, except as follows:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Bloodline scions are proficient with the dagger, club, crossbow (hand, light, and heavy), and with the rapier, scimitar, and short sword. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with a bloodline scion's gestures, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail (see Arcane Spells and Armor).
Spells
A bloodline scion casts spells like a sorcerer, but can cast fewer spells per day (as shown in Table: Bloodline Scion) and has a different progression of known spells (as shown in Table: Bloodline Scion Spells Known). A bloodline scion never learns to cast sorcerer spells of 7th level or higher; these spells are not on her spell list.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every third bloodline scion level thereafter (7th, 10th, and so on), a bloodline scion can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the bloodline scion “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A bloodline scion may swap out only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.
Affluent (Ex)
At each level, a noble scion gains gold pieces equal to 750 multiplied by her character level as stipend. (She gains 750 gp. at 1st level, an additional 1,500 gp. at 2nd level, and so on.) This is the noble's private spending money, a result of the increase in standing her level advancement brings.
A multiclass character only gets this stipend when increasing in level as a noble scion, not when increasing her level in any other class. The amount received is based on her character level, not class level. So a wizard 3 who takes a level of scheming noble gains 3,000 gp (750 times her new character level of four).Affluent, noble paragon, prestigious influence, fame and fortune, servitor, leadership, and greater leadership replaces the reduced spellcasting, known spells, and bloodline spells abilities.
Bloodline
| Level of Spell | Level for Sorcerers |
Level for Bloodline Scion |
| 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | 7 | 8 |
| 4 | 9 | 11 |
| 5 | 11 | 14 |
| 6 | 13 | 17 |
| 7+ | 15+ | Never |
This is the same as the sorcerer's bloodline ability, except that the bloodline scion gains bloodline spells at a different rate, to match their slower spellcasting advancement. This progression is shown in Table: Bloodline Scion Bloodline Spells. Her progression of bloodline feats differ slightly from the sorcerer, she gains them at level 6, 12, and 18 (see bloodline feats, below). Like a sorcerer, she receives bloodline arcana at level 1 and bloodline powers at level 1, 3, 9, and 15. She can choose to give up her level 20 bloodline power (see peerless patrician, below).
Noble Paragon (Ex)
In order to impress commoners and peers alike, the noble scion is brought up to be a paragon of her culture. At 1st level, the noble scion selects a culture she has been brought up in and three class skills. If a particular skill already a class skill, the scion instead gains a +1 trait bonus on that skill.
Prestigious Influence (Ex)
At 2nd level, a noble scion can use her influence to receive special treatment, favors, and other services. She effectively has a pool of virtual gold pieces equal 25 gp per class level to spend on services and non-material goods. This represents the wealth of her house, but also connections; naturally the theatre will offer their best tickets for free to honor their great sponsor and beneficiary who just happens to be the noble characters uncle. This pool replenishes at the beginning of every week. Unspent resources are lost and do not accumulate. Services and nonmaterial goods available to a noble scion include:
- Pay for lodgings, stabling, taxes, and tolls.
- Pay off bandits or pay ransom.
- Pay for social gifts and bribes.
- Improve her lifestyle quality.
- Hire entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers, and so on.
- Obtain invitations to exclusive events, or entry into privileged locations.
- Gather information, spread rumors, or start a whispering campaign.
- Purchase spellcasting services.
- Employ an expert hireling to make a skill check with a check bonus of +10 plus half her class level at a cost of 50 gp.
The noble can spend some of these funds on her companions, but spending more than half your allowance on your friends could be seen as overly egalitarian. A noble scion cannot permanently gain goods or wealth from this ability. Boons attainable from this ability are generally only available in settlements of 500 people or more. The exact benefits available in a location are subject to GM discretion.
When in the home territory of her noble house, the scion has access to luxurious lodging at the manors or town houses of her family, and can use such facilities to throw parties, lodge her companions in comfort, or otherwise use the properties of her family to advantage. When traveling, she can expect at least modest accommodation with other nobles, and a noble visitor is often the occasion of parties and other entertainment. The backside is of course that the scion is expected to attend all these social functions, which can hinder her other activities.
Bloodline Feats
Gained at level 6, this is the same as the sorcerer bloodline ability of the same name, except the bloodline scion gains her bonus feat at level 6, 12, and 18.
Fame And Fortune (Ex)
At third level a noble scion gains a bonus equal to 1/3 her class level on Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. This ability also reduces the DCs of Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks others make to gather information about the noble scion by the same amount.
Servitor (Ex)
At 4th level, a noble scion gains a faithful NPC servitor of the same level as a cohort granted by the Leadership feat (minimum 1st level). This servitor is of the expert NPC class and comes equipped with gear appropriate for a non-heroic NPC of the servitor's level. The servitor does not fight for the noble scion as would a cohort or follower, but instead can set up camp, act as a valet or maid, and otherwise provide food and comforts. The servitor can also run various errands while the noble scion is adventuring, such as delivering messages or maintaining the scion's interests.
Leadership (Ex)
At 7th level, the noble scion gains Leadership as a bonus feat. The cohort and followers come with equipment appropriate for their level. Pay and upkeep is provided by the noble scion's house. Followers serve their noble leader, but their ultimate loyalty is to the land and holdings; they may report unusual activities to others in the house and refuse orders that they perceive to be dangerous to the clan as a whole.
Greater Leadership (Ex)
At 13th level, a noble scion can have a cohort up to one level lower than herself and the level of all her followers increases by one. At 19th level, she can recruit a cohort of the same level she is and the level of her followers increases by two. This also improves the noble scion's servitor.
Peerless Patrician (Ex)
At 20th level a noble scion can roll twice on any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility), or Sense Motive check and take the better roll. Once per day, instead of rolling one of these skill checks, she can assume the roll resulted in a natural 20. This replaces the level 20 power from her bloodline. At the bloodline scion's option, she may choose to gain her level 20 bloodline power instead of peerless patrician.
Table: Bloodline Scion
| Class Level |
Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special | Spells per Day | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Affluent, bloodline power, cantrips, eschew materials, noble paragon | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Bloodline spell (1st), prestigious influence | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Bloodline power, fame and fortune | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Servitor | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Bloodline spell (2nd) | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Bloodline feat | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Leadership | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Bloodline spell (3rd) | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Bloodline power | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| 11th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Bloodline spell (4th) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 12th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Bloodline feat | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Greater leadership (+1 level) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | Bloodline spell (5th) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 15th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Bloodline power | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — |
| 16th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| 17th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Bloodline spell (6th) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 18th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Bloodline feat | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 19th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Greater leadership (+2 levels) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 20th | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Peerless patrician | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |