Toepba
Toepba is the name for beings born infused with the shadow energies from the Netherworld. Also known as demon sages, the toepba can come from most species with the world. They are formed when unborn fetuses are exposed to the shadow energy escaping an open nexus portal. These babies are born with glowing purple eyes and sometimes in a gaseous form. Culturally different species have various attitudes toward toepba. Some see them as monsters to be reviled while others revere them as gods. It is widely known though that they can be dangerous, especially as children.
Toepba are able to form shadow energy constructs from birth. Until they near maturity, they tend to lack control during emotional outbursts and may case accidental damage in the process. Toepba who fail to learn to control this do not live long as they drain from their life force and that is a problem for everyone. When a toepba dies their body rips open a nexus portal. Left unchecked, beings of the Netherworld will escape into the mortal plane and it could create new toepba. Those that know their time is coming to an end normally reach out to a hunter so they can close the portal upon their death.
Toepba by natural tend to be more adventurous and rarely live a simple life. There are not many in the military however. They are drawn more to fields where they can operate alone. Toepba tend to be on the extremes socially. Either an overly outgoing life of the party or a self isolating loner. The outgoing toepba are drawn to fields like explorers and entertainers, while the loners tend to be drawn more to spies and hunters.
Toepba are naturally heartier than their parent species. Their ability to manipulate their form also allows them to do things others of their species can not. The form alterations cannot increase their mass but they often alter their form so they appear to be wearing clothes. Wearing glasses to hide their eyes and coats that are easily discarded to hold their items. Their ability to phase does not extend to the items they have on their person. As a result of this the toepba usually do not carry anything of value on their person and generally travel light, often relying on their allies to carry any valuables.
Toepba are an affected class with unique gameplay features and limitations. They have high health pools to balance their lack of armor and special damage medigation. They are unable to utilize worn items, armor, or weapon properly because of their phasing abilities would cause them to drop them. The toepba's constructs are not affected by this however so they normally stick with wielding construct weapons and barriers. They also can turn their bodies into weapons and use it to overcome obstacles. Toepba healing siphons their health to others, which makes healing a cautious occasion at lower levels.
Requirements
Role: Defense, Damage, Disabling, Stealth
Species: All
Professions: All
Suggested Attributes: Charisma and Constitution
Health: 12 + Constitution per CPB + Species Health
Starting Armor Proficient: None
Starting Weapon Proficient: None
Starting Skills: Choose two starting Magical Styles.
Starting Equipment
Base
Armor: None
Weapon(s): None
Equipment: Clothing, 1 Day Ration, Backpack, Canteen
Tarryns: 1d20x10
Guidelines
The toepba use their health as one of their primary resources. Whenever they cast one of their abilities that use their health, they take 1d4 damage. The strength of the toepba's spells are drawn from their CPB.
A fury is created whenever the toepba performs a critical attacks and construct attacks. They also gain a fury for every damage they take from casting over 1. They can hold a number of fury equal to their charisma + CPB.
Abilities
Visage, Instant Ability, 1 HP
The toepba can alter appearance to instill an emotional response in those within their 5' + 2' per CPB aura once per turn. When they take their form the difficulty of their visage's aura is charisma + CPB roll. They can spend a fury to flare their visage to a target as a reaction for various effects with charisma + CPB vs wisdom + CPB.
Alluring, the toepba takes an appearance to entice those around it. Any targets within their aura must roll against their difficulty, on failure they have their sense rolls reduced by 1d6. When flared they attempt to charm the target for a round.
Disguising, the toepba takes on the appearance of another being. Any targets within their aura must roll against their difficulty, on a failure the toepba gains a 1d6 bonus to espionage rolls until they leave their aura. When flared they can confuse a target.
Infuriating, the toepba takes on an appearance to anger their enemies. Any unfriendly target within their aura must roll against their difficulty, on a failure they place a 1d6 penalty on them for attacking targets other than them. When flared they taunt a target for a round.
Nightmare, the toepba takes on a horrific appearance. Any unfriendly target within their aura must roll against their difficulty, on a failure they gain a 1d6 penalty to hit the toepba. When flared they attempt to fear a target for a round.
Phasing, Passive Ability
The toepba's ability to shift form allows it to phase through a portion of physical damage. They can ignore 1d4 per CPB damage whenever they are attacked with striking, slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage. They can also use a fury as a reaction to phase magical damage.
Constructs, Instant Ability, 1 HP, Close Range
The toepba can create thought formed objects of shadow energy for a use per CPB + health used to create. Weapon constructs can deal 1d6 per CPB slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, or shadow damage, damage type chosen on creation. Weapon constructs can move 6' and attack for an action after creation. Barrier constructs sizes can be up to 5' + 1' per CPB. Constructs can absorb or deal an attack per CPB and provide cover while active. They can spend a fury to summon a second construct and they can have a number of active constructs equal to their charisma.
Augmentation, Instant Ability, 1 HP
Whenever the toepba uses augmentation they can reshape parts of their body to gain a number of effects equal to 1d4 per CPB. Augmentation can be used as a combination action with their visage, but retains its HP cost. Augmentations have various types and can stack on top of each other but are reset when augmentation is recast. They can spend a fury for an additional effect. Any augmentation bonus rolls are applied on casting and are not re-rolled each turn.
Enhance Skill, the toepba uses one of their augmentations to enhance their body and senses to give them a bonus to their athletics, bartering, espionage, investigation, sense, stealth, survival, or thievery. Enhance skill can be used a number of times equal to their charisma and can be mixed or matched to increase skills by 1d4 per application.
Enhance Movement, the toepba uses one of their augmentations to enhance their limbs to move faster on the ground, in flight, or swimming. Enhance movement can be used a number of times equal to their charisma and can be mixed or matched to increase a movement type by 1d6' per application. Ground and flight movements require pairs of limbs while swimming requires a pair or a tail.
Enhance Damage, the toepba uses one of their augmentations to alter the damage type of a limb from strike damage to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. Each limb can have a damage type that gains 1d6 bonus damage per application. Enhance damage cannot be used on limbs that are being utilized for flight. They can also is this on their mouth to add a piercing attack bite.
Additional Limb, the toepba can create an additional limb per augmentation. The additional limbs such as arms, flippers, legs, tails, tentacles, or wings. Additional limb can also be used to change existing limbs into another limb type.
Shade, Instant Ability, 1 HP
The toepba can flatten themselves to a surface by stretching themselves into a shadow. While they are a shade they can move as if using stealth a distance equal to their movement times their charisma for actions equal to their CPB. They can spend a fury as a reaction to force a re-roll when a target notices them.
Amplify, Instant Ability, 1 Fury
When an ally casts a spell they can use a reaction to boost the spell's attack roll, duration, or damage by 1d6.
Draw, Charisma + CPB vs Constitution + CPB, 1 Fury
When the toepba performs a successful attack they can attempt to steal the status buffs from their target.
Shadow Funnel, Instant Ability, 1 HP, Close Range
The toepba have the ability to transfer some of their health to an ally in need. Health funnel gives their ally health dice + HP damage. Health dice scale up with CPB from 1d4 to 1d6 to 1d8 to 1d10 to 1d12. Fury can be used in place of health when casting.
Toepba Mastery
The toepba masteries are based on the strength of their various abilities. Since toepba are so rare, no one knows exactly how the toepba end up being stronger in the different aspects of their biology. As they gain more control over their powers they can fill various party roles to aid their allies.
Wraith
Wraiths have more control over their phasing while in their infuriating visage. They become able to dance through attacks that would fell others. Wraiths often get mistaken for actual wraiths while they are defending their allies.
Infuriating Phasing, Passive Ability, CPB 1
While in their infuriating visage, the toepba will gain a fury whenever they phase damage. When damage is fully phased, they gain 2 fury.
Enhanced Phasing, Passive Ability, CPB 2
The toepba increases their phasing dice to 1d6.
Burst Taunt, Passive Ability, CPB 3
The toepba can use a second fury when casting their taunt in infuriating visage to also taunt all targets within 6' of their target.
Shimmer, Passive Ability, CPB 4
When the toepba uses a successful draw, they gain bonus phasing equal to their CPB.
Retaliation, Passive Ability, CPB 5
The toepba gains a free instant attack whenever they fully phase an attack.
Horror
Horrors focus on enhancing their nightmare visage with their augmentations. They defend their allies by redirecting their enemies through fear and repositioning themselves to absorb attacks. As they grow in power, their augmentations become more complex, allowing them to become more monstrous.
Night Terror, Passive Ability, CPB 1
While the toepba is augmented in their nightmare visage they radiant fear on their enemies. The toepba has an increased critical attack equal to the number of active augmentations against all targets affected by their visage. Night terror only applies to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, and striking attacks.
Hardening, Additional Augmentation, CPB 2
When using their augmentation the can choose harden as an additional augment. Harden increases their soak rate by 1d6 per application.
Reactive Shade, Reactive Ability, CPB 3
While in nightmare visage, the toepba can use shade as a reaction to make a movement to intercept the damage of an attack meant for another target within range. They can use a fury during reactive shade to apply their defender roll to the previous attack to attempt to block the damage for them as well. Targets not already within the visage's aura must roll to see if they are affected.
Secondary Augments, Passive Ability, CPB 4
Whenever the toepba uses their augmentation, they are able to apply a secondary effect per augment. The secondary effect must be related to the primary effect.
Critical Fear, Passive Ability, CPB 5
Whenever their flare during nightmare visage is critical, the toepba flares all targets within their visage.
Stream
The stream is the flow that connects them to all life. They are able to shift and mold it for the benefit of those around them. A stream is adapt at supporting their allies, they are able to transfer health and statuses around the battlefield as needed. Shaping the flow of the stream allows them to give their allies all the advantages possible.
Furious Shadow, Passive Ability, CPB 1
The toepba gains a fury for ever point of damage taken passed the 1 HP needed to cast shadow funnel. Fury casting shadow funnel can be used on self.
Unshackled Draw, Passive Ability, CPB 2
When the toepba uses draw, they can chose for a target to receive the effect instead. Draw can also be used to take effects off their allies and given to their enemies.
Nexus Funnel, Charisma + CPB vs Difficulty 18, 1 HP, Close Range, CPB 3
The toepba learns to use their shadow energy to mend life threatening injures to raise a fallen ally. The regain health equal to your shadow funnel dice. Nexus funnel is usable once per CPB daily.
Amplification Surge, Passive Ability, CPB 4
Whenever the toepba maximum rolls amplify, the fury that was used is refunded.
Draw Mark, Passive Ability, CPB 5
When the toepba uses draw on an ally, they leave an additional mark on them. For a round that will copy any shadow funnel healing cast on others to the marked targets.
Socialite
The socialite is a master of the alluring visage. They are able to turn most social situations to their advantage. Their social skills can also used to weaken their enemies should combat arise. Socialites often find themselves rubbing elbows with the upper class, regardless of their station.
Furious Allure, Passive Ability, CPB 1
Whenever a target affected by the toepba's alluring visage has their senses reduce by 6, the toepba gains a fury.
Strengthen Skills, Passive Ability, CPB 2
While alluring visage is active all enhance skill augmentation are increased to 1d6 per application.
Demoralize, Charisma + CPB vs Wisdom + CPB, Close Range, CPB 3
With the alluring visage active they can use amplify on a target to cause the opposite effect.
Alluring Skills, Passive Ability, CPB 4
While in alluring visage, the toepba can use amplify on any skills that is enhanced with augmentation.
Command, Charisma + CPB vs Wisdom + CPB, 1 Fury, Close Range, CPB 5
The toepba can cast command on targets affected by their alluring visage. Those that fail when commanded must use one of their actions to do as the toepba commands as long as it is within their power. Commanding them to attack themselves requires a critical roll.
Tulpa
The tulpa is a toepba whose strengths lay in their constructs. They help defend their allies with barriers and attack their enemies with weapons formed from their minds. The tulpa can maintain more constructs than other toepba and are able to quickly lay low their enemies after a little setup.
Furious Constructions, Passive Ability, 1 Fury, Close Range, CPB 1
The toepba can use a fury to craft their constructs instead of HP. They can also use a fury to create a quick shield that absorbs 1d6 per CPB for one attack as a reaction.
Improved Constructs, Passive Ability, CPB 2
The toepba can now summon their constructs within medium range and can be combined once to double their size or damage. Double sized constructs take two actions to move and still count as two for maximum constructs.
Wielded Weapons, Passive Ability, CPB 3
When the toepba creates a weapon they can choose to make a handheld weapon instead. Wielded weapons last until they are dismissed or disarmed. The weapon deals its normal damage and is increased if the toepba has expertise.
Strengthen Construct, Passive Ability, CPB 4
The toepba can amplify their construct to create a number of bonus constructs with one break in them. Using amplify like this again replaces the previous constructs. It also allows constructs to use their phasing dice to avoid a break, if the phasing dice beat the damage received or dealt, the construct retains a use.
Swarm Constructs, Charisma + CPB vs Defender, Medium Range, CPB 5
The toepba can call up to all their active weapon constructs to move and strike a target, dealing combo damage and breaking all weapon constructs used. Swarm ignores improved constructs phasing dice and does not generate fury unless the attack is critical.
Infiltrator
Infiltrators are toepba that draw their power from the disguising visage. They are able to create illusions and confusion to help them and their allies sneak into or away from various scenarios. Master infiltrators can glide through a room without a soul noticing them. Some of the more paranoid beings in the world are hesitant to speak in private, worried there is a toepba lingering in the room.
Illusionary Constructs, Passive Ability, CPB 1
When the toepba casts a construct they can choose it to take on a material appearance, shedding the normal shadowy look. These constructs can be used to cast confusion on targets that can see them. Illusionary constructs have the same size restrictions or areas of effects as barrier constructs.
Disguising Cloak, Instant Ability or Charisma + CPB vs Wisdom + CPB, CPB 2
While in their disguising visage, the toepba can alter the form of a target per fury into a disguised form. The effect lasts until they dismiss it or the target leaves the aura of their visage. They can cast confusion to targets viewing those disguised.
Improved Confusion, Passive Ability, CPB 3
When the toepba uses confusion on a target from any of their visage enhancements, they can determine the target's reaction to it. If the target is confused, the toepba can twist their confusion into caution, pursuit, or comtemplate. When caution is used the target will move toward their source of confusion at half speed but losing the visage penalty to sense when it reaches melee range. While in pursuit they will charge toward the source and attempt to attack or subdue it. Contemplate will cause the target to use all their actions to stare at the source until it can shake the confusion.
Disguised Fury, CPB 4
When the toepba is in disguising visage and performs either a critical confusion or sneak attack, they gain 1d4 fury. This generated fury is temporary and disappears at the beginning of your next turn, if any remains.
Shade Chain, Passive Ability, CPB 5
When the toepba uses shade to sneak in disguising visage, they can maintain their shade as long as their movement ends within a shadow. They also gain a fury for every round spent in their shade form.