Visitor custom class

Since I initially posted the Bog'ans I have been working on a racial build for them. But before I create that custom class I first need to understand where they come from. Drawing on the Visitor hybrid custom class and the Visitor monster entry from BCK I have reversed out this custom class for visitors in my setting. Following on from lasts weeks post I'm feeling a few visitor related posts are comming.

Visitor custom class

The Visitors arrived over a thousand years ago bringing chaos and destruction. They waged war with the gods and people of this world destroying all remnants of civilization and eradicating the very gods themselves. But in the great war all was not lost, the warship of the visitors, a massive vessel hundreds of miles long, was critically damaged and crashed upon the world. Only the efforts of the great sorcerers prevented the world from being destroyed by it's impact, but the world was forever scarred by the impact.

The Visitors themselves survived.  Cut off from their interstellar civilisation they sought refuge in their starhome, now grounded for eternity on an alien world. Those who survived sought refuge in the military structure of the admiralty, staving off the continued attack of the remaining humans onboard the vessel. Some eventually travelled out into the wilderness looking for resources and materials on the vain hope of somehow leaving this world.

The Visitors themselves are a strange being, being frail in body and strong in mind, they have innate mental abilities that to locals appear as magic. Many suspect they are all clones of each other but this is far from the truth as they breed solely from a single parent drawing on material from their parent "mother". They live long lifespans of up to one hundred and fifty years on average (as dwarves).

Culturally, they are a learned species focusing on knowledge and technology in their pursuits. They do not refer to themselves as visitors of course, but as Reticulans. Their lack of physical strength sees them use others in their conflict, be they technological constructs or biological proxies convinced or coerced to fight for their cause.

Requirements

All Visitors require a minimum Dexterity and Intelligence of 11 or better. They may not have Strength or Constitution above 16.

Class category values

Fighting: Due to their short stature, visitors may never use two-handed swords or longbows, regardless of their Fighting Value. Visitors with narrow or broad weapon selections must include at least alien pistols and rifles among their selections. They may never put more than two points into the fighter value and must always trade-off melee damage bonus if they can.

Hit Dice: Visitors may only allocate a single point to the hit dice value due to their physically weak form. 

Divine: As beings of science, visitors may not allocate build points to the Divine category.

Arcane: Any build points allocated to the Arcane Value stack with build points allocated to the Visitor value for purposes of determining the class’s spellcasting ability (see below). 

Eldritch: If your campaign uses Eldritch magic, they may exchange it for arcane in both the racial build and class build following the rules in heroic fantasy. Corruption rules may be removed by buying it off with the bonus powers granted by Eldritch, effectively not granting those powers.

Visitor value

Value	Visitor (Reticulan)	XP Cost
4	Visitor + Arcane Caster + All Alien Lore	3,350
3	Visitor + ⅔ Arcane Caster + 5 Alien Lore	2,700
2	Visitor + ½ Arcane Caster + 4 Alien Lore	2,025
1	Visitor + ⅓ Arcane Caster + 3 Alien Lore	1,375
0	Visitor + 2 Alien Lore	700

>> Advanced Equipment: Instead of the standard allotment of gold, Visitors begin play with a selection of advanced equipment constructed by their people. The Terran Starman’s list of advanced technological tools in BCK is an example. Advanced Equipment counts as 5 custom powers.

>> Alien intuition: Visitors are intimately familiar with technological concepts and possess innate knowledge of typical technological artifacts. That said they will not have been trained in the use of every tool or device used by their people. They can achieve On the Spot Understanding with all alien tech on a roll of 11+ (with mishaps only on a 1). It counts as 2 custom powers.

>> Alien lore: Visitors begin play trained in two specialties of Alien Lore (as the proficiency). Additional points allocated to the Visitor Value grant an additional alien lore for each point allocated up to the maximum of all six lores at Visitor Value 4. This counts as 2 custom powers, plus one per additional rank as mentioned below.

>> Alien senses: Visitors possess heightened senses that are enhanced by their psionic abilities. The character gains a +4 bonus on any proficiency throws to hear noises and detect secret doors. With a proficiency throw of 18+ they can notice secret doors with just casual observation. They also gain a +1 bonus to avoid surprise. This is essentially Alertness costing 1 custom power.

>> Physically weak: Being from scavenger stock, visitors are not the sturdiest of beings. They suffer from -4 to and dungeon bashing test reflecting their weaker stature. This counts as a single point flaw.

>> Short in stature: Visitors weigh 65 pounds on average, less than half a human. They can only carry 4 stone without becoming encumbered. When carrying 5-6 stone, their encounter movement rate is reduced to 90’. When carrying 7-8 stone, their encounter movement rate is reduced to 60’. When carrying 9 stone or more, their encounter movement rate is reduced to 30’. A Visitor can carry a maximum of 16 stone, modified by its Strength bonus or penalty.

>> Telepathic communication: Visitors may communicate telepathically at will with each other or any sentient being up to a range of 120’. This is treated as having the spell Telepathic Link permanently active (cost as a level 1 spell for 70xp, spell is only 2 turns duration but allowed to be permanent as it is an incidental effect).

>> Telepathic senses: As innately telepathic beings, all visitors may sense thoughts and read surface thoughts. They are treated as having the spell ESP as permanently active. (This counts as two level 2 spells for 150xp; doubled to cause duration overlap).

>> Psionic training: All visitors develop extra mental powers through familial training. These powers are effectively a spell from first to third level. The durations are generally 1/hour for first level, 1/8 hours for second level, and 1/day for third level, though the judge should adjust based on power as done with charm below. Use the following list as an example (assumes Arcane used, adjust if switching to Eldritch), with most just possessing mind meld by default, (counts as a level 3 spell for 80 xp):

1. Charm person 1/day
2. Transfer health 1/hour
3. Detect invisible 1/8 hours
4. Invisibility 1/ 8 hours
5. Vitalise 1/day
6. Mind meld 1/day

Classes that take the Visitor Value 0 possess the scientific mindset power, this allows them to use alien technology as if they are arcane casters (counts as 2 custom powers). If a class selects a Visitor Value greater than zero they instead possess the powers psionic caster and psionic mastery. Psionic caster allows them to cast spells with minimal words and gestures as the quiet magic proficiency (counts as quiet magic for 1 custom power). The true calling of visitors is the pursuit of arcane and psionic knowledge enhancing their potential through mastery of their mind. Those possessing the psionic mastery ability increase their maximum class level for the character’s class by 1 (counts as heroic spirit for 1 custom power).

Additional points allocated to the Visitor Value grant an additional alien lore and stack with points allocated to the Arcane Value for purposes of spellcasting, magical research, strongholds, and magic item usability. Add the two values to find the class’s effective spellcasting abilities. For values of 5 or greater, use the table presented for elves on page 85 of the player's companion. When calculating the number of spells available, round fractions of 1⁄2 or more up; round any smaller fractions down. All Visitor spellcasters can cast spells wearing whatever armor they are permitted to use.

Experience point progression after 8th level

Visitors increase the amount of experience required to gain each level after 8th by 65,000XP.

Build Notes

Following are my build notes:

Normal abilities:

• Physically weak: -1 (flaw, 4 base encumbrance and -4 to door bash)
• Senses: 1
• Alien Intuition: 2
• 2+ alien lores: 2 at start and one extra each rank
• Equipment: 5
• Alien mindset OR psionic caster & Psionic mastery: 2 powers either way
• Total powers: 11
• Cost: 440

Spell like abilities:

So these are spell-like abilities not spells. I'm approximating casting times as per the gnome class.

• Permanent ESP: having this spell as permanent seems to be more than one power. At a duration of two hours taking it to four seems reasonable. 2 powers (permanent, 1-hour use and overlap); level 2 spellcasters 2 - 150xp
• Telepathic link: 1 (permanent, 1-hour use and overlap); level 1 spell - 70xp
• Special power: 1 (an extra 'magic/psi' power from a list); cost as level 3 to alow all three levels, uses as PC… so 3 is 1/Day; 2 is ⅛ hours; 1 is 1/hour. - 80xp
• Total: 300

Total Costs:

• Rank 0 cost: 440+300-40 = 700
• Additional levels as Arcane +proficiencies
• 0 700 = 700 rounded
• 1 +700 +40 = 740 round up to 750+625 = 1375
• 2 +700 +80 = 700+80=780 round down to 775+1250 =2025 rounded
• 3 +700 +120 = 820 round up to 825+1875=2,700 rounded
• 4 +700 +160 = 860 round down to 850+2500= 3350 rounded.
• Beyond - 3350/2625x50000= 63809.5 (round down like lvl7?) = 65,000