Prestige Classes


    This page houses new prestige classes, as well as any rules necessary to play them (but unnecessary otherwise; if that were so, I'd have put them on the Rules page).

 

OSI Psychic

    The Sons of Solomon long ago investigated the realm of psychic powers, and by the advent of World War II had developed a training program to "awaken" the latent powers hidden deep within the psyche of all humankind. The OSI proved to be the perfect testing ground for the program, as those individuals who have experienced undeniable supernatural events seem to be more "open" to the concept of latent psychic powers.
    OSI Psychics develop their natural psychic abilities through an intense training program combining aspects of eastern mysticism, western occultism, and "scientific" techniques. As their powers are mostly clairsentient in nature, OSI Psychics are also schooled in the occult and military intelligence.
    Whereas the OSI Operatives are trained to handle the more mundane espionage activities of the agency (if you can call anything the OSI is involved in "mundane"), the Psychics are the intelligencia in the war against the supernatural.  Whether out in the field healing comrades with the power of their mind or safe in a bunker remote viewing the contents of a secret Nazi laboratory, the OSI Psychic is another ace up the Allies' proverbial sleeve in the war against evil.
    (The US Army actually had a Remote Viewing unit for a good number of years, so the OSI Psychic isn't nearly as fantastical as you'd think. The psychic class, and the powers it uses, represents the mysteries and strangeness of the real world as much as it does the game setting.)

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Total Power Levels Known Special
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 3 Meditation, 1 Psionic Defense
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 4
3 +1 +3 +1 +3 7
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 9 Ignore 1st point of Psychic Strain
5 +2 +4 +1 +4 13 2 Psionic Defenses
6 +3 +5 +2 +5 19 Advanced Meditation
7 +3 +5 +2 +5 24 Ignore first 2 points of Psychic Strain
8 +4 +6 +2 +6 30
9 +4 +6 +3 +6 38 3 Psionic Defenses
10 +5 +7 +3 +7 49 Ignore first 3 points of Psychic Strain

Requirements
   
To qualify to become an OSI psychic, a character must satisfy the following criteria:
    Int: 12+
    Wis: 12+
    Alignment: Any non-chaotic.
    Other: The character must have been decorated for valor in action against the supernatural.

Game Rule Info
   
Abilities: Wisdom and Intelligence are the main attributes of the psychic, although each attribute is important for a different psionic discipline. Wisdom is used for Clairsentient powers, the discipline under which most of the psychic's powers fall. Intelligence is important for learning skills essential to the psychic's trade, and for learning the processes and techniques necessary for learning to access one's psychic potential. To manifest a psionic power, the psychic must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the power's level. The DC of a saving throw against a chaplain's power is equal to the roll of 1d20 + the power's level + key ability modifier.
    If your character's key ability score is 9 or lower, you can't manifest powers tied to that ability (powers keyed to that discipline). For example, if Billy's Wisdom drops to 9 because of a poison or psychic strain, he is unable to manifest even the simplest of Clairsentient powers until cured.
    Alignment: Any non-chaotic.
    Hit Dice: d6

Class Skills
   
The psychic's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (military) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Remote View (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Search (Int), Use Psionic Device (Cha).

    Skill points each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
   
  All of the following are class features of the OSI psychic:
    Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: All psychics are proficient with simple weapons and firearms and light armor.
    Rank: OSI psychic is an OSI class. The OSI is a part of the military, so all OSI characters have a rank. If the character becoming a psychic is not already a commissioned officer, he is given a commission as a second lieutenant.
    Powers: A psychic manifests psionic powers. The maximum level power a psychic can manifest is equal to his level (not one-half his level, as is usual for most spell/miracle/power-using characters). See Weird Wars Psionics, below, for a list of powers available to psychics and the procedures for manifesting them.
    Not all psychics learn the same powers, as some individuals are more skilled at certain types of psionic powers than others. The level advancement table (above) lists the Total Power Levels Known per level; this number is the total "levels worth" of powers a psychic can know at that level. 0-level powers count as 1/2 a level for purposes of this calculation. Whenever a character advances a level he is not required to "fill up" on powers; power levels can, in essence, be "saved" for later use to acquire a higher-level power unavailable at the time (due to character level limits or otherwise). Once a power is "learned", however, it cannot be later "forgotten" to make room for a different power.
    For example, Jimmy gains a third level in the OSI Psychic prestige class. As of second level, he knew the 0-level powers Detect Poison and Know Direction, the 1st-level power Empathy, and the 2nd-level power Sever the Tie (2 0-level powers is equal to 1 "power level", plus 1 power level for the 1st-level power, plus 2 for the 2nd-level power, = 4 total power levels known). At 3rd level he can know a total of 7 power levels, 3 more than at 2nd level. Since Jimmy is now 3rd level, he could learn the 3rd-level power Undead Sense (for a total of 7 power levels know), 2 1st-level powers and save a power level for later use (6 out of 7 total power levels used), or he could even save all 3 for later use. If Jimmy's player was trying to get the powers Remote Viewing and Improved Biofeedback as quickly as possible, he could have not learned any powers at all up through 2nd level, giving him the ability to learn those 2 3rd-level powers once he reached 3rd level (and he'd still have 1 level out of his total of 7 available for use on a 1st-level power, 2 0-level powers, or to save for later).
    Note that there are no rules regulating what combination of powers a character can know; as long as they meet the "maximum level power a psychic an manifest" rule and are within the Total Power Levels Known limit, they can "learn" any combination of powers they want.
    Backlash and Spectacular Success: The concentration, focus and drive required to manifest a psionic power is taxing, and any deviation from the procedure taught during training can have disastrous effects. If a psychic rolls a natural 1 on his Psicraft check when attempting to manifest a power, not only does the power fail, but the psychic immediately suffers fatigue and psychic strain as if the power had been successfully used. If a psychic rolls a natural 20 when manifesting a power, he suffers no psychic strain and only half normal fatigue (rounded up).
    Meditation: All psychics are trained in various meditation techniques, which are used to regain temporary ability damage caused by Psychic Strain (see Weird Wars Psionics, below). In order to meditate, a psychic must remain stationary and undisturbed for one or more full hours. Many potentially interruptive events can be "tuned out", such as the sounds of battle or heavy rainfall, but if the psychic suffers any damage or strong physical jolt, or is repeatedly and purposely bothered (someone poking them repeatedly being a prime example), the meditating is interrupted and must be started again. For every full hour of meditation performed, the psychic heals a number of temporary ability damage (caused by Psychic Strain only) equal to his OSI Psychic level.
    Psionic Defenses: Although OSI Psychics do not know any psionic attack modes (nor does such a thing exist, as far as the OSI knows), and therefore do not train to defend against them, the techniques used to focus their minds for the manifestation of psionic powers can be used as such. At 1st level, a psychic can choose a single defense mode. At 5th level they gain a second, and at 9th level a third.
    Unlike the standard rules listed in the Psionics Handbook, OSI Psychics do not need to spend power points (or fatigue, psychic strain, or anything else) to use a psionic defense mode; if attacked by a psionic power, the character simply chooses a defense mode to use in response, free of charge. If they wish to remain undefended (for whatever reason) they can do so, although they will suffer the +8 DC penalty for being "bare-brained" (PH pg.41). 
    Advanced Meditation: Upon reaching the 6th level of advancement in the OSI Psychic class, a character can continue to meditate no matter what the conditions - even taking a wound will not phase them. Death will of course make meditation useless, so it may be in the character's best interest to disrupt their own meditation to sew their arm back on, but that is their choice. For all intents and purposes, however, a player can keep their character meditating through anything.
    Ignore Psychic Strain: As a psychic increases in experience, their mastery over their psionic potential increases, reducing the strain manifestation causes to their bodies. At 4th level a psychic ignores the first point of temporary ability damage caused by the manifestation of a psionic power. At 7th level this increases to 2 points, and to a maximum of 3 points at 10th level. This only reduces the ability damage caused, not fatigue.
    For example, a 4th level psychic can manifest 1st-level powers without suffering any psychic strain, and would only suffer 1 point of psychic strain from the manifestation of a 2nd-level power. At 10th level, 1st through 3rd-level powers can be manifested without causing any psychic strain. 

Starting Equipment
OSI Psychic:
M1911A1, 2 ammo pouches, 4 7-round clips, bayonet, helmet, gas mask in watertight rubberized bag, 10 sheets of paper and 2 pencils in a watertight bag, incense, small meditation pillow, mess kit, canteen, personal aid kit, entrenching tool, uniform & spare uniform, 4 pairs of socks, civilian clothes, bedroll, rain poncho or overcoat depending on season, backpack, half-shelter, M1910/23/26 cartridge belt.

 

 

Weird Wars Psionics

    For the most part, psionics in Weird Wars follow the usual rules for psionics as stated in the Psionics Handbook. In instances where the rules differ, they are given below. Note that many are not "spelled out" under their own sections - you need to read all of the following to determine some of the changes that have been made.
    Unlike the "alternative mage"-style of psionics presented in the Psionics Handbook, Weird Wars psionics focus on the kinds of powers people claim to be able to perform in real life. Various forms of precognition and extra-sensory perception top the list, with various "amazing physical feats" performed by monks and other intensely spiritual individuals also showing up. All the powers available to Weird Wars psychics have a counterpart in the real world, although at a much more extraordinary level. As much as starting fires or moving objects around with one's mind may appear in the media, they are two subjects that have no firm basis in reality, and therefore have been left off the list.

Manifesting Powers
   
To manifest psionic powers, a psychic must shift his mind into a "meditative state" conductive to the use of psychic powers. The concentration and skill required to manifest powers is not easy, however, and often times the psychic will fail to produce any results despite their efforts.
    In game terms, the psychic character must perform a Psicraft check. The DC for this check is 15 plus twice the level of the power being manifested.
    The Psicraft check is made once after the amount of time required to manifest the power has passed. I the psychic is interrupted while invoking a power, a Concentration check is required as described on page 35 of the Psionics Handbook. If the Psicraft check is successful, the power is manifested. If it fails, the power does also.
    Psychics may use some of the metapsionic and psionic feats from the Psionics Handbook - see the Feats section, below, for further information on which feats can be used. When manifesting a power at an effective higher level than the usual (due to such a feat), both the DC to manifest it and the fatigue (and the psychic strain) to manifest it are based upon the level at which it is manifested.

Fatigue
   
Whenever a psychic manifests a power, he suffers fatigue equal to the Power Points cost listed in the power's description. This fatigue is applied to the hero as subdual damage. This damage is taken after the power's duration expires or the power ceases to be active (from being psionically or magically negated, the psychic manifesting it stops concentrating, etc.), not at the time when it is first manifested.
    Fatigue is recovered at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per level.
    A psychic that fails to manifest a spell immediately suffers fatigue equal to the power's level, although he does not suffer psychic strain as well (see below). Unlike fatigue suffered from successful manifestation of a power, this fatigue is taken immediately.

Psychic Strain
   
In addition to fatigue, the manifestation of psionic powers causes psychic strain. In descriptive terms, "psychic strain" represents the mental stress resulting from the manifestation of psionic powers, ranging from clouded thinking and migraine headaches to sore joints and muscle fatigue, depending on the power involved.
    Every time a power is manifested, the psychic suffers a number of temporary ability point damage equal to the power's level, done to the key ability score associated with the given psionic power. This damage occurs after the power's duration expires or the power ceases to be active (due to negation, the manifester ceasing to concentrate, etc.). 0-Level powers cause no psychic strain.
    Starting at the 4th level of experience, OSI Psychics can ignore 1 (or more) points of psychic strain.
    Psychic strain damage is recovered at the rate of 1 point per day per ability, 2 with full bed rest, or by meditation. Psychics can meditate (as described in the OSI Psychic Class Features, above) to heal a total number of temporary ability damage equal to their OSI Psychic level per hour. ONLY temporary ability damage caused by psychic strain can be healed through meditation - damage caused by poison, spells, or otherwise can still only be healed by rest.
    For example, Jimmy is a 6th level OSI Psychic with a variety of powers . During a battle, he manifests three 4th-level powers, two from the Clairsentience discipline and one from the Psychometabolism discipline. In addition to fatigue (7 points of subdual damage each, if you want to get technical), the manifestation of the powers also causes 4 points of temporary ability damage each. The Clairsentience powers damage Jimmy's Wisdom, and the Psychometabolism power damages his Strength. Since a 4th level OSI Psychic can ignore the 1st point of psychic strain caused by a power, Jimmy suffers a total of 6 points of temporary ability damage to his Wisdom, and 3 points to his Strength. After the battle he could meditate (if the situation allowed it) to heal 6 points of damage per hour; after 2 hours of meditation, he would be fully healed (you cannot meditate in partial-hour chunks, so despite the wasted time he'd still need to meditate for 2 hours total).
    Remember that powers cannot be manifested if the key ability score for the power is (currently) at 9 or less (hence the reason why psychic strain damage occurs after the power is used).

Display
   
In Weird Wars, psionic powers have no "display" characteristic beyond those completely obvious due to the power's effect. As an example, using the Ubiquitous Vision on power would not have a visual display detectable by those nearby, although it'll be pretty obvious that something is going on when the psychic starts dodging sneak attacks made against him from the rear, or points out things he couldn't possibly see from his current position. Something else to keep in mind is that powers requiring more than a single action to manifest are pretty obvious, as the psychic will be noticeably in deep concentration during that time.

Power Points
   
Any mention of power points in the Psionics Handbook should be treated as fatigue damage instead, as OSI Psychics don't have any power points. This applies to powers, feats, or anything else that mentions power points. For example, the Enlarge Power feat increases the cost of the affected power by 2 power points, which in Weird Wars is treated as 2 more points of fatigue. 

Psionic Attack and Defense Modes
   
As noted in the OSI Psychic prestige class, above, psionic attack modes are not used by human psychics, and psionic defenses do not cost any power points (fatigue, in Weird Wars) to use. See the OSI Psychic class for more information. When dealing with psionic creatures, however, psychics do count as psionic entities, and therefore are more susceptible to psionic attacks than others.

Psicrystals and Psionic Items
  
Psicrystals are not used by OSI Psychics, and for all intents and purposes do not exist in the Weird Wars universe. Psychics cannot learn item creation feats, although psionic item "artifacts" do exist in the hands of the OSI, Nazis, museums and elsewhere. 

Psionics vs. Magic
   
Psionics and magic in Weird Wars do not affect each other; use the "Variant: Psionics Are Different" rules listed on page 39 of the Psionics Handbook.

Disciplines
   
Psychics do not have a "primary discipline"; any power or feat referring to the primary discipline should instead be interpreted as applying to any one discipline, chosen by the psychic using the power or taking the feat.

Feats
   
In addition to the normal feats available to all characters, psychics may take the following psionic and metapsionic feats listed in the Psionics Handbook, beginning on page 21:  Combat Manifestation, Delay Power, Enlarge Power, Extend Power, Greater Power Penetration, Greater Psionic Focus, Heighten Power, Maximize Power, Persistent Power, Power Penetration, Psionic Focus, Psionic Metabolism, Psychic Inquisitor, Psychoanalyst, Quicken Power, Rapid Metabolism, Twin Power.

OSI Psychic Power List
0-Level Powers
Detect Poison
Detect Psionics
Inkling
Know Direction
Valor
Verve

1st-Level Powers
Biofeedback
Combat Precognition
Conceal Thoughts
Empathic Transfer
Empathy
Expanded Vision
Feel Light
Feel Sound
Hear Light
Identify
Know Location
Lesser Body Adjustment
Object Reading
See Sound
Steadfast Gaze

2nd-Level Powers
Augury
Body Adjustment
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
Combat Prescience
Detect Thoughts
See Invisibility
Sense Psychoportation
Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions
Sever the Tie
Sustenance

3rd-Level Powers
Danger Sense
Improved Biofeedback
Negate Psionics
Nondetection
Poison Sense
Rejuvenation
Remote Viewing
Ubiquitous Vision
Undead Sense

4th-Level Powers
Anchored Navigation
Aura Sight
Detect Remote Viewing
Fate of One
Psychofeedback
Steadfast Perception

5th-Level Powers
Catapsi
Mind Probe
Power Resistance
Sense Psionics
True Seeing

6th-Level Psionics
Banishment
Precognition
Improved Vigor

7th-Level Powers
Contingency
Improved Anchor Navigation

8th-Level Powers
Foresight
Hypercognition

9th-Level Powers
Astral Projection
Psychic Chirurgery


OSI SWAT Officer

    In terms of supernatural warfare, the OSI SWAT (Supernatural Weapons and Tactics) Officer is the basic foot soldier of the OSI.  Leading the fight against evil, they use such methods gleaned from superstition, myth, and legend to combat the supernatural.

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 +1 +0 +2 +2 Iron Will, Identify the Supernatural
2 +2 +0 +3 +3 Superstitious Protection
3 +3 +1 +3 +3 Enchant Ammunition
4 +4 +1 +4 +4 Detect Evil
5 +5 +1 +4 +4 Enchant Armor
6 +6 +2 +5 +5
7 +7 +2 +5 +5 Enchant Weapons
8 +8 +2 +6 +6
9 +9 +3 +6 +6
10 +10 +3 +7 +7 Protective Circle

Requirements
   
To qualify to become an OSI SWAT Officer, a character must satisfy the following criteria:
    Dex: 12+
    Skills and Feats:  Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, or Weapon Specialization (at least one weapon)
    Other: The character must have been decorated for valor in action against the supernatural.

Game Rule Info
   
Abilities: Dexterity is important, as the SWAT Officer is a combat class.  Charisma is another important ability, as it is essential for the Use Magic and Psionic Device skills, as is Intelligence for important SWAT Officer skills such as Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft.
    Alignment: Any
    Hit Dice: d10

Class Skills
   
The OSI SWAT Officer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Driving (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (military) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Psionic Device (Cha).

    Skill points each additional level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
   
  All of the following are class features of the OSI SWAT Officer:
    Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: OSI SWAT Officers are proficient with simple and martial weapons, firearms, and light armor.
    Iron Will:  The SWAT Officer gains the Iron Will feat, unless he already has it.
    Identify the Supernatural:  The OSI SWAT Officer can identify supernatural creatures with a successful Knowledge (arcana) DC 15 roll.  On a successful skill check, the SWAT Officer knows the creature's name and the generalized information about the creatures powers and weaknesses, as would be learned through the study of the myths and legends of various cultures - trivia, so to speak. The actual information given is at the WM's discretion, and may be "tainted" - knowing that werewolves are vulnerable to silver is a given, but how exactly is someone turned into a vampire? In some cases, this skill check can only give an idea of what the creature may be as opposed to an exact answer (for instance, a large wolf could potentially be a dire wolf or a wehrwolf in animal form). Identifying supernatural creatures is free action, although telling one's comrades about it will likely take one or more standard actions. If the skill roll is a natural 1, the character incorrectly identifies the creature. On a natural 20, the character is positive gets futher information, the same as if it attempted to identify the creature's weaknesses (see below).
    As a DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) test, a SWAT Officer can attempt to specifically identify a creatures weaknesses, gaining an advantage in combat. Doing so is a full round action, and the creature must have been previously identified (as above). On a successful skill check, the character gets bonuses to skills and attacks against the creature as if it was a Ranger's Favored Enemy (WW pg.45). These bonuses only apply to the given encounter - if the character runs into this same type of creature at a later date, they must make another check to gain the bonuses. Unlike the "basic" use of the Identify the Supernatural ability, the character cannot "give" this bonus to others by telling them. On a skill roll of a natural 1, the character misidentifies the creatures weaknesses and suffers all the Favored Enemy bonuses as negative penalties. On a natural 20, not only does the character gain the skill and attack bonuses, but he also knows what specific weaknesses, immunities, and powers the creature has (basically, the WM should tell the player the major entries listed in the creature's statistics/description). Unlike the Favored Enemy-like bonuses, this information may be told to other characters (as a standard action, normally).
    Superstitious Protection:  At 2nd level, the SWAT Officer's knowledge (and implementation) of superstitious practices and occult lore gives him added protection against evil spirits and monsters. These range from the relatively mundane, such as avoiding black cats, to wearing garlic around one's neck, and even as far as never stepping on cracks in the floor or avoiding having pictures taken of oneself because they might "steal your soul".
    In game terms, treat the character as having a permanent Protection from Evil spell (WW pg.240) active on themselves. As with the spell, attacking a blocked creature will cancel the effect, but only for the next 30 minutes.
    This protection comes with a cost, however - the character's overtly superstitious actions make them appear eccentric and possibly even crazy to those unfamiliar to them, resulting in a -2 penalty to any skill checks based on Charisma. Once an individual "gets used" to the character (may take a couple hours for some, or potentially never for others) these penalties disappear.
    Every OSI SWAT Officer has his own unique set of habits, and the player should take the time to role-play such eccentricities, coming up with a variety of funny, strange, and downright annoying things to say and do in response to various situations. The WM should be encouraged to reward this with experience or Bennies if the player does a good job, as superstitious beliefs can (and should, on occasion) be a hindrance to the character's (and his teammate's) activities (it's awfully difficult to sneak up on someone when your breath reeks of garlic and you've got a hundred good luck charms dangling off of your web belt, after all).
    Detect Evil:  At 4th level, the SWAT Officer gains the ability to Detect Evil (as the spell) a number of times per day equal to 2 + his Wisdom bonus. This is a supernatural ability, performed as if by the caster of the same level as the SWAT Officer.
    Enchant Ammunition, Armor and Weapons:  As the SWAT Officer progresses in level, he learns how to temporarily "enchant" items. At 3rd level he can enchant bullets, at 5th level armor, and finally, at 5th level, weapons (firearms and otherwise). Rules for Enchanting Items are found below.
    Protective Circle:  At 10th level, a SWAT Officer learns how to create a protective circle against all sorts of evil and summoned entities. To do so, he must spend 10 minutes marking the circle (10-foot radius) on the ground with various substances (herbs, salt, etc.) and arcane symbols, and make a Knowledge (arcana) DC 20 roll. If successful, the area is protected as if a the Magic Circle Against Evil spell (WW pg.223) had been cast. Duration is 1 hour. The character may make a number of Protective Circles per day equal to 1 plus his Intelligence bonus (minimum of 1). 

Starting Equipment
    OSI SWAT Officer:
Weapon and ammunition appropriate to previous class and nationality, revolver with 12 .38 silver bullets and 12 regular bullets, 2 ammo pouches, bayonet, helmet, gas mask in watertight rubberized bag, mess kit, canteen, personal aid kit, entrenching tool, uniform & spare uniform, 4 pairs of socks, civilian clothes, bedroll, rain poncho or overcoat depending on season, backpack, half-shelter, M1910/23/26 cartridge belt, small mallet, 3 wooden stakes, holy item(s), good luck charm(s), 2 cloves of garlic.

 

Enchanting Items

    As part of their training, OSI SWAT Officers learn how to temporarily enchant items using techniques taken from shamans, witch doctors, "Old Wives Tales", and similar superstitious/occult practices found throughout the world in ancient (and even modern) times. As with the SWAT Officer's other abilities, enchanting items mostly relies on the concept that if magic, miracles and monsters actually exist, then there's probably some truth to be found in superstitious folklore. Many times this works, but the more powerful the enchantment, the more likely it is to fail.
    To enchant items, the character must perform an often lengthy ritual involving the items in question and various other materials, individuals, dances, phrases, etc. Given the various cultures that the character draws his information from, the rituals performed to enchant items are extremely varied...and extremely bizarre. Game mechanics aside, these rituals are a great opportunity for some amusing role-playing situations, and the WM should feel free to encourage (or require, if they wish) the player to make up some entertaining actions for his character to perform as part of the ritual. Additionally, the WM has full control over the actual requirements of the ritual(s), which will often involve the gathering of strange materials for use in the ritual. Some suggestions for ritual components are listed in the table found below.

Limits of Enchantment
   
As of 3rd level, an OSI SWAT Officer can enchant ammunition of all types - bullets, arrows, large-caliber cannon rounds, etc. Explosives do not count as ammunition. At 5th level, he can also enchant armor; although this normally only involves helmets or flak jackets, it is just as possible to enchant archaic forms of armor (if available). As of 7th level, he can enchant weapons as well; guns, melee weapons, explosives, tank guns, etc.
    Items may be given enhancement bonuses, and, if desired (and within level limits), special abilities.  Enhancement bonuses are limited to +1 for every 3 levels of the SWAT Officer (i.e. +3 as of 9th level). Special abilities are limited both by character level in two ways:  First, the character needs to be of a certain level in order to imbue an item with a specific ability. Second, each power has a "level bonus" that increases the effective level of the item, with the total of the enhancement bonus and special ability levels being limited to the character's SWAT Officer level. In effect, enhancement bonuses and special abilities work identical to those listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide in the Magic Items section (DMG pg.173+), although the listed information for Caster Level, Prerequisites, and Market Price should be ignored (as these rules supercede them).
    Unlike magical items in the standard D&D universe, enchanted items created by SWAT Officers do not need an enhancement bonus in order to be given special abilities. This is not without it's drawbacks, however; if an enchanted weapon or ammunition is unable to harm a creature due to a creature's special defenses/immunities or damage reduction (say, an un-enhanced or +1 9mm bullet [2d6 damage] vs. a creature with Damage Reduction 15/+2), any special abilities active on the weapon/ammunition will have no effect on the creature either. This can become a difficult issue to handle in some cases, but for the most part simply determine if actual hit point damage is caused to the target, and if not, no special abilities (that would affect the target) have any effect either. As always, the WM has final say.
    Finally, enchanted items only need to be of masterwork quality (in the case of firearms, "customized") if the enchantment is made permanent (see below). In the case of helmets, ammunition, and other mass-produced items, finding masterwork quality items will likely be more difficult than the ritual itself.

Selecting Enhancement Bonuses and Special Abilities
   
Within the limits above, a SWAT Officer character may choose any combination of enhancement bonuses and special abilities to apply to a particular item. Enhancement bonuses can be applied to ammunition, weapons, or armor - enhancement bonuses to ammunition or weapons increase their attack and damage rolls (and may be combined, if both the weapon and ammo it's firing are enchanted), and bonuses to armor increase it's AC.
    The following table lists the various special abilities that may be applied to various items. Definitions of each column follow:
 
Ability Creator Level Level Bonus Items Affected

Suggested Components

Location

Acid Resistance 5th +2 Armor acidic substances. DMG 181
Cold Resistance 5th +2 Armor Ice or other cold substances. DMG 181
Fire Resistance 5th +3 Armor Fire or other hot substances. DMG 181
Fortification 7th +2, 4 or 6 Armor Additional armor added, stone. DMG 181
Invulnerability 9th +6 Armor Additional armor added, stone. DMG 181
Lightning Resistance 5th +2 Armor Electrical components, lightning rods. DMG 181
Shadow 5th +1 Armor Painted black, camouflaged. DMG 181
Silent Moves 5th +1 Armor Oil, well padded. DMG 181
Slick 4th +1 Armor Oil, tight fitting. DMG 181
Sonic Resistance 5th +2 Armor Earmuffs, padding. DMG 181
Spell Resistance 8th +2, 3, 4, 5 Armor Good luck charms, herbs, religious items. DMG 182
Bane 8th +2 Weapon, Ammo An item representing the target. DMG 186
Defending 8th +1 Weapon Medals, modified handguards, etc. DMG 186
Disruption 7th +4 Weapon (bludgeoning) Holy symbols, blessed items. DMG 186
Distance 6th +1 Weapon (ranged) Feathers, glass, wind. DMG 186
Ghost Touch 9th +1 Weapon, Ammo Bones, religious items, dust. DMG 186
Holy 7th +2 Weapon, Ammo (Good) Holy symbols, religious items. DMG 186
Keen 10th +1 Weapon (slicing) Sharpening stone, razor. DMG 187
Mighty Cleaving 8th +1 Weapon Butcher's knife, meat products. DMG 187
Speed 7th +4 Weapon Hot rod flames, racing stripes, meth. DMG 187
Vorpal 9th +5 Weapon (slashing) A copy of Lewis Carrol's Jabberwocky. DMG 187
Wounding 10th +2 Weapon, Ammo Serrated edges, glass shards, blood. DMG 188
Slaying Arrow (bullet) 9th +5 Weapon, Ammo Blood or flesh from target creature. DMG 189
  
Ability:
  The name of the power.
Creator Level:  The minimum level at which a SWAT Officer can imbue an item with that ability.
Level Bonus:  The number of levels added to the item's "effective level".
Items Affected:  What categories of items can receive the particular special ability. In the case of explosives or large-caliber exploding ammunition, some common sense needs to be used, and the WM's decision is final.
Suggested Components:  A couple of suggestions as to "appropriate" things to either include as part of the enchantment ritual, or ways in which the item itself can be modified. Additionally, painting/carving/burning runes, symbols, and pictures representing the ability onto the item is common to all special abilities, as is the burning of various incenses and herbs, dancing, singing, chanting, etc.
Location:  Where the description of the ability can be found.

As a secondary note, although the effects of some powers will be obvious (a flak jacket that has an uncanny ability to stop rifle bullets is a little unusual), no enchanted items glow or physically change shape when used; their abilities, although supernatural, appear to happen by "explainable" causes.

Performing the Ritual
   
Once the proper materials are gathered, the item(s) to be enchanted are prepared, a location is set up for the ceremony, etc., the SWAT Officer begins his lengthy, strange ritual to bless the chosen items with supernatural strengths and abilities. As stated in above, pretty much anything (and everything) goes - dancing, body and item painting, eating food (or much worse things), chanting, burning things in effigy, meditation...the possibilities are limitless, although each individual character will, based on his religious and ethical beliefs and personal tastes, tend to follow similar patterns in each of his rituals.
    A single weapon or piece of armor, 20 explosives or large-caliber shells (20mm and above), or 50 rounds of ammunition may be enchanted during a single ritual, and count as a single item for purposes of XP costs.
    Before performing the ritual, the player must decide how quickly he wants to perform the ritual and what duration the enchantment should last for. The available choices are listed in the following table:
  
Effective Level Base DC XP Cost (Temporary) XP Cost (Permanent) Ritual Length DC Modifier Enchantment Duration DC Modifier
1 2 20 100 1 Week +0 1 Week +20
2 4 80 400 3 Days +2 3 Days +15
3 6 180 900 8 Hours +5 1 Day +10
4 8 320 1600 4 Hours +10 12 Hours +8
5 10 500 2500 2 Hours +15 6 Hours +5
6 12 720 3600 1 Hour +20 3 Hours +2
7 14 980 4900 30 Minutes +25 1 Hour +0
8 16 1280 6400
9 18 1620 8100
10 20 2000 10,000 Masterwork item: -5

 Once the ritual length and enchantment duration are decided, the character (and any other characters participating, if there are any) performs the ritual over the given length of time; rituals lasting for multiple days must take up every waking moment other than time required for essential activities such as sleeping, eating, or going to the bathroom (and even those may very well be incorporated into the ritual itself). Once the ritual is over, the items are enchanted...or so one hopes. Whether or not the enchantment worked is not determined until the item(s) are actually used, at which time the SWAT Officer makes a Knowledge (arcana) roll against a DC equal to the Base DC (based on the effective level of the enchantment), plus the DC Modifier based on the Ritual Length, plus the DC Modifier based on the Enchantment Duration. If the item(s) being enchanted is of masterwork (or equivalent) quality, the DC is reduced by 5. If the roll is successful, then the enchantment took hold, and it's affects appear appropriately. If the roll fails, then the ritual didn't work and the items are not enchanted. If an enchanted item is not used within it's duration period, no Knowledge (arcana) roll needs to be made, since it's no longer working anyway. Note that it is impossible to "test" an item outside of a combat/stressful situation - in fact, having that little confidence in the effectiveness of the ritual may very well result in it failing to work, period...
    Whether or not the ritual actually worked correctly, the XP Cost (Temporary) must be paid by the character at the completion of the ritual ceremony, representing the "life essence" drained from him during the (attempted) enchantment.
    Example:  Jimmy, now a powerful 8th-level SWAT Officer, decides that his squad could really use some +2 Shapechanger-Bane .30 caliber bullets for use against the Wehrwolves they are planning to attack in 10 hours. The bullets themselves have an Effective Level of 4, which is a Base DC of 8.  He decides to spend 8 hours performing the ritual (DC +5). Since the battle itself shouldn't last very long, he decides to only enchant the bullets for a 6 hour time period (DC +5), giving his group a good 4 hours of leeway before the enchantment wears off (if it even works in the first place, of course). Totaling that up gives a Knowledge (arcana) vs. DC 18 skill test, made when his buddies first hit a Wehrwolf with one of the bullets. Since he has 2 hours remaining before the battle, he decides to quickly enchant a helmet with the Shadow ability (Effective Level of 1 with no enhancement bonus; DC 2) for use by a sniper in his squad. He crams the ritual out in 1 hour (DC +20) and gives it a 3 hour duration (DC +2), for a total DC of 24, made when the sniper wearing the enchanted helmet tries to hide within sight of the enemy. The DC is high enough that he stands a chance to fail, but for the cost of 20 XP it's no big deal if it fails.

Permanently Enchanting Items
   
   With enough time, access to extremely difficult-to-find substances, and masterwork items, a SWAT Officer can attempt to permanently enchant an item. Only masterwork items (or "customized", in the case of firearms) can be permanently enchanted, in the same quantities as listed above for temporarily enchanting items. The XP cost is based on the Effective Level of the enchantment, as shown on the chart above. The ritual takes a number of days equal to the XP cost divided by 100 (i.e. 1 day for a level 1 enchantment, or a whopping 100 days for a level 10 enchantment). During this time, the character must spend every possible moment working on the ritual (although he can eat, sleep, and crap, getting involved in any other activities will cause the ritual to fail).
    At the end of the enchantment period, the character makes a Knowledge (arcana) roll vs. DC 25. If successful, the item(s) is permanently enchanted, and the character loses the appropriate number of XP. If the roll fails, so does the enchantment, but the character only loses half the XP he would have lost if it had been successful. If the skill check fails by 5 or more, the item will never be able to hold a permanent enchantment (although it can be temporarily enchanted). If the skill check fails by less than 4, the ritual may be started again with the same item.

 


      The following prestige class was submitted by Adam Loyd, and has been placed here with only minor modifications, mostly formatting changes, on my part. 

Ace

  The sheer delight of flying across the sky, the icy calm when you’ve got a target in your sights, and the camaraderie of your squadron after battle – those are the highest virtues of the Ace.
  The Ace is a pilot who concentrates on the art of the maneuver. He is capable of graceful swoops, blindly fast evasive maneuvers, and unerring interceptions. Machine guns are his favorites; he likes to deal death from an impersonal distance, and with deadly accuracy. Perfect hand-eye coordination is taken for granted among Aces, who alternately impress and infuriate other pilots with their bravado.

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 +0 +1 +2 +1 Aircraft Defense
2 +1 +2 +3 +2 Familiarity +1
3 +2 +2 +3 +2 Fly-By Attack
4 +3 +2 +4 +2 Familiarity +2
5 +3 +3 +4 +3 Evasive Action
6 +4 +3 +5 +3 Familiarity +3
7 +5 +4 +5 +4 Instinctive Maneuverability
8 +6 +4 +6 +4 Familiarity +4
9 +6 +4 +6 +4 Improved Evasive Action
10 +7 +5 +7 +5 Familiarity +5

Requirements
   
To qualify to become an Ace, a character must satisfy the following criteria:
    Dex: 15+
    Wis: 13+
    Base Attack Bonus: +4
    Skills: Pilot 8 Ranks
    Feats:  Barnstormer, Seat of their Pants, Single Engine Aircraft Proficiency, Snap Shot

Hit Dice:  d8

Class Skills
 
The Ace’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Bombardier (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Leadership (Cha), Mechanic (Int), Navigation (Int), Piloting (Dex), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: All aces are proficient in automatic weapons.
Aircraft Defense: A combination of quick, darting moves and raw velocity makes the Ace hard to hit. He may add half his level, round up, to the AC of any aircraft he pilots.
Familiarity: Starting at 2nd level, an Ace gains a bonus on Pilot and Mechanic checks when used on an aircraft he designates as familiar. This bonus is +1 at 2nd level and increases by 1 every two levels thereafter (4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th).
  To designate an aircraft as familiar, the Ace must have operated it for at least a month. Minor changes and upgrades to the aircraft don’t affect familiarity, but if the Ace switches to an aircraft with a different size, different amount of engines, or more than one new weapon, he must operate it for at least a month before he is familiar with it. The Ace may be familiar with only one aircraft at a time.
Fly-by Attack: At 3rd level, Aces are unbelievably good at lining up shots, spending as little position as possible. When the Ace performs an attack in air-to-air combat, the total cost of the attack in position points is reduced by an additional 1 point. This stacks with Snap Shot, allowing the Ace to spend 2 less position points than normal to make an attack.
Evasive Action:
At 5th level, the Ace may make a pilot check to lessen the damage dealt by a successful attack against his plane. If the Pilot check exceeds the attack roll, the damage dealt to the Ace’s aircraft is halved (round fractions down, minimum of 1 point of damage). The Ace can make an evasive action check once per round.
Instinctive Maneuverability: At 7th level, the Ace has an instinctive command of the engines of his plane. Any aircraft he flies improves its maneuver rating by +2.
Improved Evasive Action: At 9th level, the Ace’s evasive action improves. A successful Pilot check negates all damage dealt by the attack.

 


      The following class was submitted by Jean-Christian Drolet, and has been placed here with only minor modifications, mostly formatting changes, on my part.  Although he only lists their progression up to 12th level, you can follow the pattern up to 20th yourself if you want.

 

Légionnaire

 They are not men, they are devils !
                                - Col. Combas, Mexican army, 1864

Abilities:  The Legionnaire must have a minimum of Str 11 and Con 12
Alignment:
Any
Multiclass Restrictions: Scout and Officer only (if offered a commission)
French Language
: The Legionnaire must have at least 3 Ranks in the French language skill.
Specialization : The Legionnaire is always considered an infantryman.
Rank: All Legionnaire begin play as engagés volontaires (private) unless they take the Rank feat, in which case they begin as Sergeants.  The Rank feat may not be taken again and rank must be earned in play unless granted by a prestige class.

Abilities: Dexterity and Constitution ensure surviving battlefield conditions.
Hit Dice: d12
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Demolitions (Int), Driving (Dex), Entrench (Wis), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Leadership (Cha), Listen (Wis), Mechanic (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Wireless Telegraphy (Int)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4+Int bonus) x 4
Skill Points at Later Levels: 4+Int bonus

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort

Reflex

Will

Special

1

+1

+2

+0

+0

Toughness, FFL Code

2

+2

+3

+0

+0

Endurance

3

+3

+3

+1

+1

 

4

+4

+4

+1

+1

Bonus Feat

5

+5

+4

+1

+1

 

6

+6/+1

+5

+2

+2

Bonus Feat

7

+7/+2

+5

+2

+2

 

8

+8/+3

+6

+2

+2

Bonus Feat

9

+9/+4

+6

+3

+3

 

10

+10/+5

+7

+3

+3

Bonus Feat

11

+11/+6/+1

+7

+3

+3

 

12

+12/+7/+2

+8

+4

+4

Bonus Feat

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Legionnaires are proficient with simple weapons, firearms and light armor.
Bonus Feats: The Legionnaire gains an additional bonus feat at 4th level and every two levels thereafter.  These bonus feats must be chosen from the following list:

Ambidexterity                              (Dex 15+)          
Automatic Weapons Proficiency
(Firearms)
Combat Reflexes                              
Dodge                                         
(Dex 13+)
Eye for Terrain                            (Tactics)
Far Shot                                       (PBS)
Forward Observer
Gunnery Proficiency
Improved Critical                         
(Prof w weapon, BAB +8)
Improved Initiative
Improved 2-Weapon Fighting     
(2-wep fight, Ambidex, BAB +9)
Improved Unarmed Strike
Incoming!                                    
(one month combat)
Jungle Fighter                              (Incoming!)

Mobility                                     (Dex 13+, Dodge)
Mortar Proficiency
Parachute Proficiency
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot                                                
(PBS)
Quick Draw                                           (BAB +1)
Rapid Shot                                    (PBS, Dex 13+)
Shot on the Run       (PBS,Dex13+,Dodge,Mobility)
Spring Attack      (Dex 13;Dodge;Mobility;BAB +4)
Tactician
Tracked Vehicle                       
(Wheeled Vehicle)
Two-Weapon Fighting
Weapon Focus#             
(prof w weapon, BAB +1)
Weapon Specialization*#

 

( ) contain prerequisites          BAB - Base Attack Bonus          PBS – Point Blank Shot
* see below          # Grunt can take these feats more than once with different weapons. 

 

Toughness : At first level the Legionnaire starts with 3 more hit points.
The French Foreign Legion Code  of Honor :

“In combat you will act without relish of your tasks, or hatred, you will respect the vanquished enemy and will never abandon neither your wounded nor your dead, nor will you under any circumstances surrender your arms.”

-          Section 7 of the FFL Code of Honor

All the Legionnaires have +4 bonus for any morale check when they are in combat. However they cannot leave wounded or dead behind and cannot surrender.
Endurance : At 2nd level the legionnaire earns the Endurance feat due to the excruciating training of the Legion.
Weapon Specialization: At 4th level and higher the Legionnaire may take specialization in a weapon with which they have proficiency and Weapon Focus.  The +2 damage bonus only applies in the first range increment.

 

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