Zerth Prestige Class

Zerth

Written by Colin andPatrick Wilson. Information and quotations are derived from Planescape:Torment, by Black Isle Entertainment.

Those who saythat githzerai culture has no structure have a lot to learn about the planes.Not only is the society of Zerthimon’s gith very well organized, it hasdistinct rules of conduct to follow. However, there is no denying thatgithzerai are very independent, and the structure of their culture is unlikethat of any other.

Githzeraitradition is centered upon one tenet: the People come above all. The preservationof the githzerai is just as important today as in Zerthimon’s time, and theresponsibility for this preservation falls to a special caste of society knownas the zerth. Almost a priesthood, the zerths see themselves as the heirs ofZerthimon and thus the chosen few who strive to carry on his role as the Saviorof the People.

Zerth philosophyis as curious as the rest of githzerai culture. They strive to achieve mentalenlightenment to aid their physical prowess. They utilize intimateunderstanding of arcane forces to guide their trusted karach blades in deadly combat. They think of themselves as aclose-knit brotherhood yet most often work alone, even when pursuing the sameend as others in the order. Perhaps most curious of all is the swordplayphilosophy which underlies all the order’s teachings. Zerth warriors strive tobe “the Eye of the Storm,” a tightly focused funnel of chaos. This puts themapart from monastic orders which try to order their minds to focus theirbodies; zerths embrace the chaos that surrounds them and channel it towardtheir goal, as aqueduct walls channel bubbling water. In this manner they arealways ready to act, yet they remain unpredictable to their calculatingenemies. Zerths also have an easy time identifying with foes such as slaadi,who frequently threaten githzerai cities, allowing the protectors to anticipateand counter these creatures.

Tradition is ofutmost importance to the zerth, who guard the ancient ways of the githzeraipeople. The karach blade is thesymbol of the zerth, who sees in its shimmering surface the reflection of hisvery soul. The weapon mirrors the warrior’s mind, and changes according to hisemotions. When a zerth is angry, his blade may turn dark or even black anddisplay teeth-like serrations. When a zerth has achieved enlightenment, his karach blade becomes polished andpaper-thin. Zerths often wrap the hafts of their weapons with mantras toZerthimon or meditative passages from their sacred text: The Unbroken Circle ofZerthimon.

Zerth can begintheir training with either psionic or arcane ability, and it is a fairly evensplit as to how many derive their powers from each. Magic and psionics arealmost the same thing to the githzerai, who see the true power as originatingwithin.

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

Race: Githzerai

Base Attack: +4

Skills: Concentration 5 ranks,Knowledge (arcana) or (psionics) 6 ranks, Knowledge (history) 3 ranks

Feats: Combat Casting or CombatManifestation, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (any slashing melee weapon)

Spells/Psionic: Able to cast 2ndlevel arcane spells or able to manifest 2nd level psionic powers

Class Skills

The zerth’s class skills (and thekey ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis2 (Wis),Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int),Knowledge (arcana)1 (Int), Knowledge (psionics) 2 (Int),Spellcraft1 (Int), Spot (Wis),Survival (Wis), and Psicraft2(Int).

1Only if the zerth qualified for the prestige class byhaving 6 ranks of Knowledge (arcana), Combat Casting, and the ability to cast 2ndlevel arcane spells.

2 Only if the zerth qualified for the prestige class byhaving 6 ranks of Knowledge (psionics), Combat Manifestation, and the abilityto manifest 2nd level psionic powers.

Skill Points at Each Level:2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Zerths are proficient with all simpleand martial weapons and with light armor.

Spells per Day/Powers Known: At every level indicated on the table,the character gains either new spells per day or additional power points perday and access to new powers as if he had gained a level in whatever arcanespellcasting or manifesting class he belonged to before adding ranks in zerth.He does not, however, gain any other benefit that a character of either classwould have gained (bonus feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). Thisessentially means that he adds the levels os zerth indicated to hisspellcasting or manifesting levels, then determines spells per day and casterlevel or power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.

 Thezerth must choose to which class he adds his levels of extra spellcasting ormanifesting ability. If the zerth is adding to an arcane spellcasting class, hemust have the Combat Casting feat, have 6 ranks in Knowledge (arcana), and beable to cast 2nd level arcane spells. If the zerth is adding to amanifesting class, he must have the Combat Manifestation feat, have 6 ranks inKnowledge (psionics), and be able to manifest 2nd level psionicpowers.

 Forexample, a 4th-level wizard/2nd-level fighter who takestwo levels in zerth has the same access to spells as a 5th-level wizard.But his wizard familiar won’t gain any new abilities and he won’t gain thebonus feat for being a 5th-level wizard. Another character who is a4th-level wizard/3rd-level psychic warrior could alsotake two levels of zerth, and would have the same access to spells as a 5th-levelwizard since he cannot manifest 2nd level powers and so couldn’t addhis extra levels to psychic warrior.

Forge karach: “With theirthoughts and knowing of matter, thePeople shaped the First World and dwelled there withtheir knowing to sustain them.” –First Circle of Zerthimon

The swirlingchaos of Limbo is shaped by its inhabitants into livable land and usable goods,allowing the githzerai to make a living in the otherwise barren plane. A rarefrom Limbo metal known as karachshares this alterable trait, but is much easier to work with than purechaos-stuff. It is forged by the zerths into their signature weapons, the karach blades, which are focused by thewielder’s mind into a razor edge.

 Azerth is able to forge karach weaponsusing the Craft (weaponsmithing) skill. The weapon must be a masterwork meleeweapon and the zerth forger must pay for the added material cost, but otherwisethe check is the same as forging any other melee weapon. Only some zerth takethe time to learn to forge karachblades, but all know how to hold the weapon’s form, and so are proficient inits use in combat. Individuals without this zerth ability do not understand thesecrets of karach and so cannot forgethe material or use the weapon effectively. The karach special material is described below.

Unbound Will: “Lashed upon the Pillars, Zerthimon moved his mind toa place where pain could not reach, leaving his body behind.” –Third Circle of Zerthimon

Because of theirintimate knowledge of both mental and physical powers, zerths with arcaneabilities are able to manifest their spells even while armored. Zerths are ableto ignore arcane spell failure while wearing light armor and psionicallyfocused.

Psionic focus ispresented in the Expanded Psionics Handbook, and is an additional use for theConcentration skill by an individual with psionic power points, including the naturalpower points of githzerai characters. Attaining psionic focus is a full-round action, provokes attacks of opportunity,and requires a successful Concentration check against DC 20, and a focus will remain untilexpended. In non-psionic campaigns it can be assumed that githzerai charactersalways have psionic focus, since they will have no cause to expend it.

Zerth Blade: “Steel became the scripture of the People. Know that steel is the scripture bywhich the People came to knowfreedom.” –Second Circle ofZerthimon

In the hands ofa zerth, the karach becomes anextension of his will and resonates with planar energies. While wielded by thezerth, a karach weapon gains anenhancement bonus of +1, which increases to +2 at 4th level, +3 at 7thlevel, and +4 at 10th level. Like other magical weapons, theseenhancement bonuses do not stack with masterwork enhancement bonuses. This isan ability of the zerth and the karachweapon instantly loses this bonus when it leaves his hands.

If a zerthwields two karach blades, hisenhancement bonus is one less than normal. For example, a 4th-levelzerth can wield two karach shortswords with a +1 enhancement bonus to each.

Improved Initiative: “Gith told Zerthimon that they would be underthe same sky in this matter. The words were like bared steel. From Zerthimoncame the Pronouncement of Two Skies. In the wake of his words came war.” –Sixth Circle of Zerthimon

 At2nd level a zerth gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat. If healready has Improved Initiative, he gains no further ability.

Focused Steel: “It was then that Zerthimon came to know that flesh yielded to steel. In knowing that, he came to know that steel was stronger than the illithids.”–Second Circle of Zerthimon

 Asthe zerth masters the use of karach,his blade becomes even more devastating. An experienced zerth knows that thepowers of the karach are most potentwhen it exists in a careful state between liquid and metal, allowing it to whipthrough the air. At 3rd level, the zerth can, with extreme discipline, focus himself through hiskarach blade, and as a standard action can make a single precise attack with a melee weapon made of karach, dealing an extra 1d8points of psionic damage to opponents. Any targets immune tocritical hits are also immune to extra damage from Focused Steel.

 Thedamage bonus from Focused Steel increases to +2d8 at 6th level, andincreases to +3d8 at 9th level.

The Karach Sings True: “Manyof the People were gathered and taught in secret the ways of defeating theirillithid masters… They were taught the scripture of steel, and mostimportantly, they were given the knowingof freedom.” –Fourth Circleof Zerthimon

When the zerthreaches 4th level, his blade becomes more deadly, extending itscritical range downward by one. At 8th level the critical range isextended downwards by another one, increasing the total adjustment to two.

Streaming Blade: “By enduring and quenching the fires of hishatred, he allowed Arlathii Twice-Deceased to think him weak. When the time ofthe Rising came, Arlathii was the first of the illithid to know death by Zerthimon's hand and die a third death.” –Third Circle of Zerthimon

 At 8thlevel, the zerth gains the ability to make a number of attacks of opportunityequal to his Wisdom modifier. This ability is otherwise similar to the CombatReflexes feat.

Singing blade: “Know thatthere is nothing in all the Worlds that can stand against unity. When all know a single purpose, when all handsare guided by one will, and all act with the same intent, the Planes themselvesmay be moved.” –Eight Circleof Zerthimon

At 10thlevel the zerth has achieved such harmony with his blade, that his willpowerfills the air with a haunting cacophony of ghostly tones. Witnesses havedescribed the noise as reminiscent of a high wind through the eaves of a house,though the accounts vary widely. Three times per day, when the zerth makes a full attack, all enemies within 30 feet of the blade mustmake a Willpower check (DC equal to 10 + ½ the zerth’s character levels +zerth’s Charisma modifier) or become shaken. This ability is similar to thespecial ability Frightful Presence.

Ex-zerths: Zerth warriors are sworn to protect githzerai as a wholefirst, and individuals second. A zerth may not harm another githzerai except inself-defense or in defense of the greater People. A zerth must do all withinhis power to defend the People of Zerthimon and to bring down their enemies,and may not part with his karach blade.A zerth who fails in this duty loses all special abilities of the zerthprestige class, and loses the ability to control karach until he receives atonement(see description of that spell for specifics).

New Special Material: Karach

 Karach is a special metal foundcondensed on the plane of Limbo and collected by the githzerai, among a fewothers. It is used primarily by the zerth warrior caste of the githzerai, whoshape it using unique devotional techniques. The warrior’s mental claritymaintains the blade’s integrity and the wielder is able to adjust itsproperties using his will. Usually, the blade exists in a semi-firm state andits surface is a hypnotic, swirling green.

 Karach may be used to create anymasterwork slashing melee weapon. It has hardness 10 and 20 hit points perinch. The githzerai who are the primary shapers of this unique material do notfreely distribute it, though, and reserve it for the most deserving ofwarriors. The market price of a weapon made of karach is 1500 gp higher than normal for the purposes of a zerthobtaining a karach weapon, though ifone were to be found for sale it could easily fetch a higher price due to itsrarity and beauty.

 Aweapon made of karach is consideredto be magic and chaos-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.Its mutability, though, means that it sheds any enchantments placed on it afterone hour. In the hands of an untrained wielder (generally, one without anylevels in zerth), the weapon loses its form and the wielder is treated asnon-proficient in it and deals damage as if the weapon were one size categorysmaller.