Class Archetype · Beta

Primordial

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Class Skills

The primordial's class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Progression

Class Features

The following are class features of the primordial.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Primordials are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Primordial-Frenzy, lesser (Su)

The primordial's source of internal power grants her the ability to enter a primordial-frenzy, heightening her reflexes and improving her speed. At 1st level, a primordial can enter a primordial-frenzy for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, she can primordial-frenzy for 2 additional rounds per day. Temporary increases to Constitution do not increase the total number of rounds per day.

The total number of rounds of primordial-frenzy per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. A primordial can enter a primordial-frenzy as a free action.

While in a primordial-frenzy, a primordial gains a +2 morale bonus to her Dexterity and Constitution, as well as a +1 morale bonus on Reflex saves. Her land speed increases by 10 feet (this benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor or light armor and not carrying a heavy load; it stacks with other speed bonuses). The increase to Constitution grants the primordial 1 hit point per Hit Die, but these disappear when the primordial-frenzy ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points.

While in a primordial-frenzy, a primordial cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.

A primordial can end her primordial-frenzy as a free action. When the primordial-frenzy ends, she is fatigued for a number of rounds equal to twice the number of rounds spent in the primordial-frenzy. A primordial cannot enter a new primordial-frenzy while fatigued or exhausted, but can otherwise enter primordial-frenzy multiple times during a single encounter. If a primordial falls unconscious, her primordial-frenzy immediately ends.

Primordial-frenzy counts as the barbarian's rage class feature for feat prerequisites, feat abilities, magic item abilities, and spell effects.

Burn (Ex)

At 1st level, a primordial can overexert herself to channel more power than normal by accepting burn. Some wild talents allow her to accept burn in exchange for a greater effect, while others require her to accept a certain amount of burn to use that talent. For each point of burn she accepts, a primordial takes 1 point of nonlethal damage per character level. This damage cannot be healed by any means other than getting a full night's rest, which removes all burn and associated nonlethal damage. Nonlethal damage from burn cannot be reduced or redirected.

A primordial can accept only 1 point of burn per round. This limit rises to 2 points at 6th level and increases by 1 additional point every 3 levels thereafter. A primordial cannot choose to accept burn if it would put her total burn higher than 3 + her Constitution modifier (though she can be forced to accept more burn from outside sources). A primordial who has accepted burn never benefits from abilities that allow her to ignore or alter the effects she receives from nonlethal damage.

Elemental Focus (Su)

At 1st level, a primordial chooses one primary element on which to focus: Aether, Air, Earth, Fire, Void, or Water. This element determines how she accesses the raw power of the Ethereal Plane, grants her access to specific wild talents, and provides additional class skills. She gains her selected element's basic utility wild talent as a bonus wild talent.

Elemental Blade (Su)

At 1st level, a primordial gains the kinetic blade form infusion, and it costs 0 points of burn instead of 1. At 4th level, she gains the blade rush infusion. At 7th level, she gains the kinetic whip infusion (her kinetic whip has the disarm, performance, and trip weapon qualities). At 13th level, she gains the blade whirlwind infusion. At 17th level, she gains the whip hurricane infusion.

Kinetic Blade

At 1st level, a primordial forms a weapon using her kinetic abilities. She creates a non-reach, light, or one-handed weapon in the hand formed of pure energy or elemental matter. The kinetic blade's shape is cosmetic and does not affect the damage dice, critical threat range, or critical multiplier, nor does it grant the kinetic blade any weapon special features.

Physical blade: deals 1d6+1 + the primordial's Constitution modifier, increasing by 1d6+1 for every 4 primordial levels beyond 1st. Spell resistance does not apply.

Energy blade: deals 1d6 + 1/2 the primordial's Constitution modifier in elemental damage, increasing by 1d6 for every 4 primordial levels beyond 1st. Attacks are resolved against the target's Touch AC.

The kinetic blade can be used as part of an attack action, charge action, or full-attack action to make melee attacks. Since it is part of another action, using this wild talent does not provoke additional attacks of opportunity. The kinetic blade deals only its kinetic blade damage on each hit and disappears at the end of the primordial's turn. It also adds the damage bonus from elemental overflow.

Composite Blades

When a primordial gains a new element through the expanded element class feature, she gains access to all composite blades for which she qualifies. Physical composite blades deal 1d6+2 + the primordial's Constitution modifier plus additional damage from Strength, increasing by 1d6+2 for every 2 primordial levels beyond 1st. Energy composite blades deal 1d6 + 1/2 the primordial's Constitution modifier, increasing by 1d6 for every 2 primordial levels beyond 1st. Attacks are resolved against the target's Touch AC.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 2nd level, a primordial can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. She can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action. If a primordial already possesses uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Gather Power (Su)

At 2nd level, if she has both hands free, a primordial can gather energy or elemental matter as a move action. Gathering power creates an extremely loud, visible display in a 20-foot radius centered on the primordial, as energy or matter swirls around her. Gathering power this way allows the primordial to reduce the total burn cost of a blade wild talent she uses in the same round by 1 point.

The primordial can instead gather power for 1 full round to reduce the total burn cost of a blade wild talent used on her next turn by 2 points (minimum 0). She can also gather power as a move action during her next turn to reduce the burn cost by a total of 3 points.

If the primordial takes damage during or after gathering power and before releasing the kinetic blade, she must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 10 + damage taken + effective spell level of her kinetic blade) or lose the energy, accepting burn equal to the number of points by which gathering power would have reduced the cost. This ability can never reduce the burn cost of a wild talent below 0.

Elemental Defense (Su)

At 2nd level, a primordial gains her element's defensive wild talent. She must select the expanded defense utility wild talent to gain the defensive wild talent of any element she gains through the expanded element class feature.

Wild Talents

At 3rd level, a primordial can use wild talents — magical abilities similar to spells but drawn from her innate psychic talent and usable at will. Wild talents are typically spell-like abilities (though some are supernatural abilities) and take a standard action to use unless otherwise noted. A wild talent always has the elemental descriptor matching its element entry.

Every wild talent has an effective spell level. A primordial can always select 1st-level wild talents, but she can select a wild talent of a higher level only if her primordial level is at least double the wild talent's effective spell level (maximum 9th at 18th level). Unless otherwise noted, the DC for a saving throw against a wild talent is 10 + the wild talent's effective spell level + the primordial's Constitution modifier. The primordial uses her Constitution modifier on all concentration checks for wild talents.

In addition to wild talents gained from other class features, at 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, a primordial selects a new utility wild talent available to her element. At 6th, 10th, and 16th levels, a primordial can replace one of her utility wild talents with another of the same level or lower. She cannot replace a wild talent she used to qualify for another.

Elemental Overflow (Ex)

At 3rd level, a primordial's body surges with energy from her chosen element whenever she accepts burn. She receives a bonus on attack rolls with her kinetic blade equal to her total points of burn, to a maximum of +1 per 3 primordial levels. She also receives a bonus on damage rolls with her kinetic blade equal to double the attack roll bonus. The primordial can suppress the visual effects of elemental overflow by concentrating for 1 full round, but doing so suppresses all other benefits of this ability until she next uses a wild talent.

Starting at 9th level, whenever she has at least 3 points of burn, the primordial gains a +2 size bonus to two physical ability scores of her choice. She also gains a chance to ignore the effects of a critical hit or sneak attack equal to 5% x her current points of burn.

At 11th level, whenever she has at least 5 points of burn, these bonuses increase to a +4 size bonus to one physical ability score of her choice and a +2 size bonus to each of her other two physical ability scores.

At 18th level, whenever she has at least 7 points of burn, these bonuses increase to a +6 size bonus to one physical ability score of her choice, a +4 size bonus to a second physical ability score, and a +2 size bonus to the remaining physical ability score.

Primordial Bastion

At 3rd level, while in a primordial-frenzy, a primordial can suffer extra points of burn known as phantom burn. This burn causes nonlethal damage to the temporary hit points gained from the primordial-frenzy. A primordial can suffer a number of points of phantom burn each round equal to half the Constitution bonus gained from the primordial-frenzy. Each day she can suffer a number of points of phantom burn equal to 1/4 her number of rounds of primordial-frenzy per day. While frenzied, her total burn is equal to her base burn plus any phantom burn. When the frenzy ends, the phantom burn is lost as well. Suffering phantom burn causes the primordial to become fatigued for a number of rounds equal to four times the phantom burn received.

At 6th level, the primordial can suffer 2 points of phantom burn while frenzied. The fatigue from this burn lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 times the phantom burn.

At 11th level, the primordial can suffer 3 points of phantom burn while frenzied. The fatigue lasts a number of rounds equal to double the phantom burn.

At 16th level, the primordial can suffer 4 points of phantom burn while frenzied. The fatigue lasts a number of rounds equal to the phantom burn.

Split Blade

At 4th level, a primordial may form two smaller weapons using her kinetic blade abilities. The damage dice drop to 1d4 from 1d6. These may appear as two daggers or take on the appearance of claws, and are treated as light weapons.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 5th level, a primordial can no longer be flanked. This defense denies rogues (or other classes with sneak attack) the ability to sneak attack the primordial by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels (or levels in the class granting sneak attack) than the target has primordial levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from both classes stack when determining the minimum rogue level required to flank.

Primordial-Frenzy (Su)

At 6th level, when a primordial enters a primordial-frenzy, the morale bonus to her Dexterity and Constitution increases to +4, and the morale bonus on her Reflex saves increases to +2. Her land speed increases by 20 feet while frenzied. She also gains Evasion while in a primordial-frenzy.

Damage Reduction (Ex)

At 7th level, a primordial gains damage reduction. Subtract 1 from the damage she takes each time she is dealt damage from a weapon or natural attack. At 10th level and every 3 levels thereafter, this damage reduction increases by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0.

Infusion Specialization (Ex)

At 8th level, whenever a primordial uses one or more infusions with a blade, she reduces the combined burn cost of those infusions by 1 (minimum 0). She reduces the burn cost by 1 additional point at 16th level.

Expanded Element (Su)

At 8th level, a primordial learns to use another element or expands her understanding of her primary element. She can choose any element, including her primary element. She gains one of that element's simple blade wild talents she does not already possess, all composite blade wild talents whose prerequisites she meets, and the basic wild talent of the chosen element. She does not gain the defensive wild talent of the expanded element unless she later selects it with the expanded defense utility wild talent, nor does she gain additional class skills from the expanded element unless she takes the Elemental Knowledge feat.

If the expanded element differs from her primary element, she treats her primordial level as 4 levels lower for the purpose of determining which wild talents she can learn from her expanded element. If she expands her understanding of an element she already has, she gains an additional utility wild talent or infusion of her choice from that element.

At 19th level, the primordial can select a new element or expand her understanding of her original element (she cannot select the same element she chose at 8th level unless it is her primary element). If she selected her primary element at both 8th and 19th levels, her mastery of that element increases: she gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, caster level, and DCs for wild talents of her element.

Supercharged Frenzy (Su)

At 11th level, when a primordial enters a primordial-frenzy, the morale bonus to her Dexterity and Constitution increases to +6, and the morale bonus on her Reflex saves increases to +3. Her land speed increases by 30 feet while frenzied. In addition, when using gather power as a move action, she can reduce the total burn cost of a single wild talent by 2 points instead of 1. When using gather power for 1 full round, she can reduce the burn cost of a single wild talent by 3 points instead of 2.

Supercharged frenzy counts as the barbarian's greater rage ability for the purpose of feat prerequisites, feat abilities, magic item abilities, and spell effects.

Indomitable Will (Ex)

At 14th level, while in a primordial-frenzy, a primordial gains a +4 bonus on Will saving throws to resist enchantment spells. This bonus stacks with all other modifiers.

Tireless Primordial-frenzy (Ex)

At 17th level, a primordial no longer becomes fatigued at the end of her primordial-frenzy.

Mighty Primordial-frenzy (Su)

At 20th level, when a primordial enters a primordial-frenzy, the morale bonus to her Dexterity and Constitution increases to +8, the morale bonus on her Reflex saves increases to +4, and her land speed increases by 40 feet. In addition, when using gather power as a move action, she can reduce the total burn cost of a single wild talent by 3 points instead of 2. When using gather power for 1 full round, she can reduce the burn cost of a single wild talent by 4 points instead of 3.

Mighty primordial-frenzy counts as the barbarian's mighty rage ability for the purpose of feat prerequisites, feat abilities, magic item abilities, and spell effects.