Feyspeaker

 

By Ryan Nock

Illutstration by Jessica Jones

 

As the dwarves forced their way through the woods, the sound of the revelry grew stronger, more inviting.  Desperately they sought to find the source of the happy sounds of song and dance, hoping that perhaps the revelers would spare them some food.  Finally they broke into the clearing, seeing the inviting flicker of bonfires in the middle of a spinning ring of exotic creatures.  Luscious food lay scattered on the grass of the clearing around them, and the dwarves’ leader urged them forward, despite the unease they felt beneath the gaze of the tall, imposing woman leading the dance.

 

The Faerie Realm is home to a myriad of fey races—centaurs, dryads, gremlins, hags, nymphs, pixies, satyrs, will-o’-wisps, and unnamed nations of others.  The fey races live nearly forever in the Faerie Realm, a land which closely parallels the real world like a mist-filled mirror, accessible only through persistence or by the gracious whim of the fey themselves.  Outsiders like humans, dwarves, or even elves are seldom welcomed, but a few humanoids with enough resilience and the right disposition can convince the fey to accept them as friends.

Feyspeakers are the revel-leaders of the fey, guiding the races of the Faerie Realm in dances of power both for their own delight and for protection.  Usually only fey become Feyspeakers, but a majority of outsiders who befriend feykind go on to adopt this position of prestige.  A Feyspeaker is almost universally respected by feykind, though some of the more capricious and bitter denizens of the Faerie Realm resent the presence of outsiders in the role of the revel-leaders.

Most Feyspeakers are bards or sorcerers, since some arcane magic is required to fulfill the requirements of the position, but many druids with a  little arcane experience also feel an affinity to the fey races.  Though those without magical powers cannot hold the position of Feyspeaker, they can assist Feyspeakers in Fey Dances, those celebrations of myth than many long to see, but fear to be ensnared by.

 

 

Hit Die:  d4.

 

 

Requirements

Spellcasting:  Ability to cast one spell with each of the following descriptors, at least one of which must be 3^rd level or higher.  Descriptors: (charm), (compulsion), (figment), or (glamer).  Sample spells include change self (glamer), minor image (figment), hold person (compulsion), and charm monster (charm).  Note that according to the Player’s Handbook, no druid spells are figments or glamers, and no cleric spells are figments.

Feats:  Spell Focus in either Enchantment or Illusion.

Bluff:  4 ranks.

Hide:  2 ranks.

Move Silently:  2 ranks.

Perform:  4 ranks.

Speak Language:  Sylvan.

Other:  Must be fey, or must win against a fey in a contest which the fey considers his or her specialty.  For instance, she may beat a will-o’-wisp in a game of hide-and-seek, or a centaur in a race, or a satyr in a drinking contest.  This might even be a bit unorthodox, perhaps by knitting a kilt faster than a pixie can unravel it, or outstripping a hag in a race to see who can lure more people to their deaths on the night of a full moon.  The result of the contest can be judged by a relatively unbiased audience of fey, or it can be determined by the fey admitting defeat.  A Feyspeaker must be accepted by feykind before she can cross the gap from the land of her birth to the Faerie Realm.

 

 

Class Skills

The Feyspeaker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive skill), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), and Spellcraft (Int).  See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

 

Skill Points at Each Level:  4 + Int modifier.

 

 

Feyspeaker

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort. Save	Ref. Save	Will Save	Abilities	Spells per Day
1	+0	+0	+2	+2	Fey Dance, Resist Nature’s Lure, Speaker’s Attunement	+1 level of existing class
2	+1	+0	+3	+3	Feysight	+1 level of existing class
3	+1	+1	+3	+3	Speaker’s Attunement	+1 level of existing class
4	+2	+1	+4	+4	Feat of Splendor	+1 level of existing class
5	+2	+1	+4	+4	Speaker’s Attunement	+1 level of existing class
6	+3	+2	+5	+5	Beltane Dance	+1 level of existing class
7	+3	+2	+5	+5	Speaker’s Attunement	+1 level of existing class
8	+4	+2	+6	+6	Beguiling Dance	+1 level of existing class
9	+4	+3	+6	+6	Speaker’s Attunement	+1 level of existing class
10	+5	+3	+7	+7	Dance of the Faerie Realm	+1 level of existing class

 

 

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Feyspeaker prestige class.

 

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:  A Feyspeaker gains no additional proficiency in any weapon or armor.

 

Feyspeaker’s Vows:  As a condition of her acceptance into the Faerie Realm, a Feyspeaker vows to defend feykind from the intrusions of non-fey.  A Feyspeaker must retaliate against any non-fey who threaten or harm a fey, though the extent of the retaliation can range from annoyance to combat and curses.  Likewise, feykind take care of their problems and do not need humans and elves to get involved.  Only rarely will a Feyspeaker accept the aid of outsiders, and even more rarely will she solicit it.  Though a Feyspeaker does not lose her abilities for failing to fulfill these vows, she might alienate many fey, who would perceive her as abandoning her duty.

 

Spells Per Day:  For the purposes of determining spells per day, caster level, and (for spontaneous spellcasters) spells known, whenever a level as Feyspeaker grants the ability “+1 level of existing class,” the character adds 1 effective level to one of her previous spellcasting classes.

 

Spellcasting Restrictions:  The Feyspeaker may freely cast any spells she has access to that have the descriptors of (charm), (compulsion), (figment), or (glamer).  Aside from those, however, the DC to save against her spells is reduced by 5.  For instance, if a Feyspeaker who was formerly a sorcerer with a 16 Charisma cast a 3^rd level spell, the DC would normally be 16 (10 + 3 for the spell’s level + 3 for the sorcerer’s Charisma bonus).  However, if she cast a fireball, the save DC would be only 11, 5 less than usual.  This reduction of save DC does not affect spells cast through a Fey Dance (see below).

Additionally, the number of spells she may cast that have a directly damaging effect (such as a finger of death, fireball, or prismatic spray) is limited to one spell per day per level of Feyspeaker.  Spells that deal damage as a secondary effect or through summoned creatures (such as summon swarm, telekinesis, or whirlwind) do not count against this limit.  Like the fey races, Feyspeakers prefer magic that misdirects, embarrasses, or drives off opponents.  In some cases the DM may need to adjudicate which spells fall under this restriction.

 

Fey Dance (Su):  One of the traditional forms of magic for feykind is the Fey Dance, in which a Feyspeaker leads a group in song and dance, using the gathered power of the dancers to strengthen her spells as she and others spin in a frolicking circle.  A Fey Dance lasts for the spell’s normal casting time, plus at least one minute per spell level, and requires more dancers the more powerful the spell is.  At the conclusion of the dance, each participant other than the Feyspeaker must make a Perform check (DC 10).  Non-fey may assist in this dance, but they receive a –2 penalty to their Perform checks.  Similarly, though the dancers usually participate through their own free will, charmed dancers will suffice.  Only creatures who know the purpose of the dance, however, can contribute to it.

If the number of successful performers equals or exceeds the spell’s level, the dance has enhanced the strength of the spell.  The Feyspeaker then makes her own Perform check, adds the spell’s level, and uses the result of her check in place of the normal DC to resist the spell’s effect.  The Feyspeaker’s Perform check cannot benefit from cooperative efforts (as detailed in Chapter 4: Skills in the Player’s Handbook) except from the cooperation of other Feyspeakers.

Dancers who are disrupted from their dancing, such as if they are attacked or immobilized, cannot contribute to the final round of Perform checks, but as long as any troublemakers do not disrupt enough dancers to cause the spell to fail, the dance can still be completed.  For instance, if Ogres attack in the middle of a Fey Dance to cast a storm of vengeance and knock several dancers unconscious, if any defenders manage to protect at least nine dancers there is still a chance the spell could be completed.  By no means are the dancers forced to continue to dance while endangered, but it is possible for dancers to finish a spell if the need balances against the danger.  If, however, the Feyspeaker breaks from the dance, the spell automatically fails.

A spell cast through a Fey Dance has a range no further than it can be seen or clearly heard, and thus those familiar with the dangers of the fey can try to flee to safety.  Typical spotting distance is 50 feet in thick forest, 100 feet in light forest, or 400 feet in open fields.  Though it is possible to see or hear a dance unclearly from a greater distance, the magic reaches only as far as the sensation of the dance is lucid.  If a spell’s range is normally shorter than the range at which it can be seen, use the spell’s normal range.

A Fey Dance often lasts for hours, the enhanced spell not taking effect until the dance ends and the Feyspeaker wishes to complete the casting.  Thus a dance could begin early in the day and last as long as needed until a tribe of marauding Ogres stumbled upon the dance.  Of course, dances of extreme length may tire out the participants.  Each hour that a dance lasts, the dancers must make a Constitution check against DC 20 or take 1d6 points of subdual damage from fatigue.

As noted above, spells cast through a Fey Dance do not have a reduced save DC, even if they don’t have the (charm), (compulsion), (figment), or (glamer) descriptors.

 

 

Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex):  A Feyspeaker gains a +4 bonus to saving throws against the spell-like abilities of feykind (such as dryads, nymphs, and sprites).

 

 

Speaker’s Attunement (Su):  As a Feyspeaker advances in her powers, she becomes attuned to particular races of feykind, gaining the abilities of many different types of fey.  At 1^st level and every odd level thereafter, a Feyspeaker gains one of the abilities listed below, depending on which type of fey the Feyspeaker wishes to emulate.  Some choices have prerequisites and cannot be chosen unless the Feyspeaker meets the proper requirements.  As a Feyspeaker gains these abilities, her appearance takes on faint aspects of the attuned fey race, hinting at her powers.  All spell-like abilities granted through this power function with the Feyspeaker’s caster level.

 

 

Banshee’s Moan:  Prerequisite:  Caster Level 15+.  The Feyspeaker can release a wailful moan as a standard action, filling the hearts of listeners with a feeling of gelid woe.  All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed a Will save (DC 17 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) or become panicked for 2d4 rounds.  A panicked creature has a –2 morale penalty to saving throws and must flee.  This is a sonic, necromantic, mind-affecting fear effect.  A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same Feyspeaker’s moan for one day.  The eyes of a Feyspeaker with this ability always look faintly bloodshot, as though she had been recently crying.

Centaur’s Swiftness:  The Feyspeaker’s base speed increases by 10 while running, but not in normal (walking or hustling) movement.  Feyspeakers with this ability also tend to let their hair grow out long, into something of a mane.

Cheshire’s Smile:  Prerequisite:  Caster Level 8+.  The Feyspeaker gains the spell-like ability to vanish as invisibility three times per day.  Whenever she smiles, she always smiles widely, displaying her teeth, which become flawlessly white.

Dazzling Beauty:  Prerequisite:  Caster Level 15+.  As her face and figure grows ever more beautiful, the Feyspeaker’s body becomes so dazzling that any creature that sees her must succeed a Will save (DC 17 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) or be stunned for 2d4 rounds.  A creature that successfully saves against the Feyspeaker’s beauty cannot be affected by it again for one day.  A Feyspeaker may suppress this ability at will, as a free action.

Dryad’s Touch:  The Feyspeaker gains the spell-like ability to speak with plants with any plant she touches three times per day.  The Feyspeaker’s skin and hair change slightly in color as the seasons pass, like unto a dryad’s.

Flight of the Fey:  Prerequisite:  Caster Level 8+.  The Feyspeaker gains the spell-like ability to dimension door once per day.  The Feyspeaker’s eyes seem to widen just slightly, as though she is innocently alert.

Gremlin’s Mischief:  The Feyspeaker gains a +4 bonus to all Disable Device checks.  Disable Device is henceforth considered a class skill for the Feyspeaker prestige class.  The Feyspeaker’s eyes sparkle with a mischievous gleam at odd moments, and her smiles often turn to pleased smirks.

Guidance of the Will-o’-Wisp:  The Feyspeaker gains the spell-like ability to create ghost sounds or dancing lights at will, but only at night or in areas of general gloom.  At night her skin always appears pale and faintly luminous.

Hag’s Visage:  Prerequisite:  Caster Level 12+.  As a free action, the Feyspeaker may twist her face into a hideously ugly expression of sneering distaste and mockery.  She may return her face to normal as a free action as well.  Anyone who sets eyes on her must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 15 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) or be weakened, taking 1d4 points of temporary Strength damage.  This damage lasts as long as the victim remains within sight of the Feyspeaker, and for one hour thereafter.  A creature that succeeds its save cannot be affected again by the same Feyspeaker’s visage for one day.  The more often the Feyspeaker uses this ability, the more her face begins to resemble the hideous visage.

House Goblin’s Favor:  The Feyspeaker gains the favor of small house goblins (tiny creatures often called ‘hobgoblins’), which function as a permanent unseen servant at the Feyspeaker’s control that cannot be dispelled.  Every night she must leave a small bit of food by her sleeping spot, or the house goblins won’t help her for one week.

Kiss of the Nixie:  Prerequisite:  Swim skill.  The Feyspeaker gains the spell-like ability to cast water breathing once per day.  The Feyspeaker grows very small webs between her fingers and toes.

Pixie Archery:  When using a bow the Feyspeaker may, as a full-round action, fire an enchanted arrow that deals no damage, but forces a target struck by it to succeed at a Will save (DC 11 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) or be affected as though by a sleep spell.  Like a sleep spell, this ability cannot affect creatures with high hit dice.  She may fire a sleep arrow three times per day.  Her strides become slightly longer, as though she were held aloft by the light fluttering of wings.

Satyr’s Debauchery:  Prerequisite:  Caster Level 12+.  Simply by singing or playing a musical instrument, the Feyspeaker can use her spell-like ability to affect all creatures within a 60-foot spread as with the charm person spell.  Creatures can resist this effect with a Will save (DC 11 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus).  A creature that successfully saves against the charm cannot be affected by this ability from the same Feyspeaker again for one day.  Feyspeakers with this ability tend to develop a strong taste (and capacity) for alcohol and love-making.

Trackless Step:  The Feyspeaker leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.  When in any natural setting, leaves, grass, snow, or spray of water highlights her hair, just enough to add an exotic flair to her appearance without looking dirty.

Trick of the Changeling:  The Feyspeaker gains the spell-like ability to change self three times per day.  Infants within thirty feet of the Feyspeaker often cry out in fright as she passes.

 

 

Feysight (Ex):  At 2^nd level, a Feyspeaker gains low-light vision if she doesn’t already have it.  She also gains a +4 competence bonus to Spot checks to find hiding fey.

 

 

Feat of Splendor (Su):  Beginning at 4^th level the Feyspeaker can perform a feat of splendor once per day, gaining an enhancement bonus to her Charisma equal to her caster level that lasts for one minute, or for the duration of one single performance, including a Fey Dance.  Activating this power is a free action.  This enhancement cannot grant bonus spells, but does provide bonuses to Charisma-based skill checks, and can raise the DC to resist Charisma-dependant spells and abilities.

 

 

Beltane Dance (Sp):  Starting at 6^th level, a Feyspeaker may lead a Fey Dance of a different sort.  For the purposes of whether this fey dance succeeds, the Beltane Dance is equivalent to a 4^th-level spell, requiring at least four dancers to succeed Perform checks (DC 10).

The casting of the Beltane Dance involves the burning of large amounts of incense in a huge bonfire, and requires ten minutes to complete, continuing thereafter until the Feyspeaker wishes it to take effect.  As the revelers dance and frolic, they feel their hands sweat, their hearts quicken, and their skin yearn for the touch of others. 

When the Beltane Dance takes effect, all humanoid or fey creatures of medium-size or smaller within spotting or hearing distance of the dance must succeed a Will save (DC 14 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) or be affected as by multiple potions of love.  Affected creatures become enamored with every other creature in the area, and for the next 1d3 hours engage in acts ranging from very friendly conversation to passionate love-making, as is appropriate to each creature’s personality.  Affected creatures do not leave the area of their own free will, and generally become irritated with those who try to pull them away from those they have become enamored with.  In the aftermath of the dance, the enamoring effect remains faintly persistent, but the memories of the revelers are typically cloudy, helping to avoid some potential embarrassment.

This dance is typically performed at special fey holidays, but a less formal version can be prepared and enacted easily enough whenever the whim strikes a group.

 

 

Beguiling Dance (Sp):  At 8^th level, whenever a Feyspeaker leads a Fey Dance, if the Feyspeaker chooses to let the dance last beyond the required minimum casting time, all creatures that hear or see the dance must succeed a Will save (DC 16 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) or be compelled by a mass suggestion to stay and listen to the dance’s completion.  This ability can affect no more creatures than the Feyspeaker’s caster level, and creatures will stay no longer than a number of hours equal to her caster level.  This compulsion is not language-dependant.  This power helps attract groups that know better than to linger near a fey dance, but it requires two more dancers than normal to succeed their Perform checks (DC 10).  Thus, a 6^th level spell cast through a Beguiling Dance would require eight dancers to succeed their Perform checks, instead of the normal six.  If at least six succeed, the spell still functions as normal, but the Beguiling effect does not trigger.

 

 

Dance of the Faerie Realm (Su):  In the most powerful dance of the fey, the Dance of the Faerie Realm, or the Dance of Timelessness, feykind lure outsiders into a celebration of such beauty and pleasure that their minds reject the possibility of leaving.  This dance takes an hour to cast, and requires 28 dancers to succeed their Perform checks for it to work.  The dance typically lasts late into the night, attracting many non-fey into its clutches with the effects of the Beguiling Dance. 

When the Feyspeaker finally lets the dance conclude, she chooses among all non-fey who have are within range.  Unless the Feyspeaker wishes to spare a given creature or person, all those within range must succeed a Will save (DC 9 + the Feyspeaker’s Perform check)  are transported to the Faerie Realm, a misty world that closely parallels reality, but which is filled constantly with reveling, dancing, and celebration.  Unless the Feyspeaker or the fey of the Faerie Realm decide to free the victims, they remain in a state of perpetual bliss, partaking in debauched pleasures for years.  During this time they are affected as by the temporal stasis spell, not growing older, nor requiring food, nor being vulnerable to harm of any sort. 

Once every month, each victim may attempt a new Will save (DC 19 + the Feyspeaker’s Charisma bonus) to break free of the grip of the Faerie Realm.  Additionally, killing the Feyspeaker who led the dance frees all those whom her dances affected.  Those who break free return to the world in the same place they first entered the dance, only foggily recalling the time they spent in the Faerie World.  Many of those of weak will are drawn into these dances, never to be seen again.