Silvertongue Charmer

Requirements

Skills: Bluff (8 ranks), Diplomacy (5 ranks), Sense Motive (5 ranks)

Summary

Some rogues are talkers. The silvertongue charmers raise the art of conversation to such a high level that they talk most other creatures into doing their work for them; they are relentlessly social creatures. They are typically found in urban centers, full of people especially in the courts, castles, palaces, taverns, fairs, tournament grounds and markets.

A silvertongue charmer specializes in using her steady patter to directly influence those around her and has access to a range of enchantments and charms. Charmers combine a wide range of flattery and insight into what others want to steer events their own way. Their power lies not in combat or even primarily in magic; instead they succeed or fail based on their persuasiveness and their networks of contacts.

A silvertongue charmer believes so strongly in what she is saying that she sometimes becomes caught up in her own web of words, unable to distinguish between what she says or believes and the real world around her. If she says something, it is so. For this reason, when a silvertongue charmer swears a great oath, she usually does not break it - sometimes to people's great surprise. This doesn't mean charmers are trustworthy; what they say one day, they may change the next. "I will follow you to the ends of the earth" may turn into "I think you'll have to visit that dragon's lair without me" without any real sense of contradiction in the charmer's mind.

This prestige class is most popular among humans and elves who rely heavily on Bluff, Diplomacy, and the power of performance, especially bards, rogues, and aristocrats. Some sorcerers find themselves drawn to it as well.

Role: Utility

Characteristics: Limited Casting. Wormtongued individuals that can use their powerful words to charm and enthrall others

Source: Book of Roguish LuckB

Game Rule Information

The Silvertongue Charmer has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Charisma is the big stat that fuels your ability to charm and and modifies most of your skills, that being said you need intelligence to pump up those skill ranks up to incredible levels

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d4

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Silvertongue Charmer's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (any) (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Silvertongue Charmer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Silvertongue Charmer is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Spells: When a silvertongue charmer who was formerly an arcane spellcaster gains a level in the class, she gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable), as if she had gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any benefit a character of that class would have gained.

A silvertongue charmer casts arcane spells much like a bard. In fact, the spell list for the class is the same as the bard spell list. Characters that enter this class without any previous spellcasting experience uses Table 1-2: Charmer Spell Advancement to determine how many silvertongue charmer spells they can cast each day.

The key ability for the class' spellcasting is Charisma. To cast a spell the silvertongue charmer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a silver tongue charmer’s spell is 10 + the caster level of the character.

Like other spellcasters, a silvertongue charmer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The charmer can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. In addition, a charmer receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.

Fast Talker Ex: A silvertongue charmer can confuse and delay anyone she talks to and often leaves other individuals in such a state that they need a bit of time to recover. This ability functions only when one or more creatures willingly listen to what the charmer has to say; thus, it does not work in combat. The targets are not hostile while the charmer continues speaking and for 1 round after she stops.

Listeners are allowed a Will save to resist (DC 10 + half the charmer's level + her Charisma modifier). A successful save means that the target sees through the charmer's web of confusion and remains unmoved. Failure means the target is effectively dazed for a full round.

Discern Lie Sp: At 2nd level or higher, a silvertongue charmer can use Discern Lies three times per day. This effect is equivalent to the spell cast by an arcane caster of the charmer's level.

Master of Rhetoric Ex: At 3rd level, a silvertongue charmer can use Diplomacy to sway large crowds (rather than just individuals) to undertake a particular course of action. To do so, she must speak to the listeners uninterrupted for at least one minute in a language they understand. This time allows the charmer to sway the crowd through sheer force of personality.

The charmer must make a Diplomacy check for this ability to succeed and using any applicable modifiers from Table: 1-2 below. At the end of the charmer’s speech, the crowd may or may not decide to adopt the charmer’s suggested course of action, but their attitude will be no worse than indifferent. If the charmer succeeds, a number of audience members equal to three times her class level becomes helpful.

Enthrall Sp: At 4th level or higher, a silvertongue charmer can keep an audience listening for as long as she keeps talking. The crowd ignores most external sights and sounds while listening, as in the Enthrall spell. This may affect a number of listeners equal to the charmer’s class level. Listeners are entitled to a Will save (DC 10 + half the charmer’s class level + Charisma modifier); those who succeed can ignore the charmer’s voice and wander off.

Confidence Ex: At 5th level and higher, a silvertongue charmer exudes an aura of confidence and trustworthiness. If she can talk to any creatures she meets for at least a full round, they generally react with less hostility and resentment than normal. Creatures within a 20-foot radius suffer a –2 circumstance penalty to Will saves while in the charmer’s presence. This ability is language dependent and does not function in combat.

Creatures with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 6 or lower are affected by the charmer’s confidence as if a charm monster spell had been cast on them. Affected creatures are entitled to a Will save (DC 10 + half the charmer’s class level + her Charisma modifier); if this save succeeds, the creature goes unaffected by the aura of confidence. This effect lasts only so long as the charmer does not injure, insult, or abuse the creature, or leave its presence for more than a minute. If the charmer attacks the target creature, the effect ends immediately.

Smooth Talk Sp: When she reaches 6th level, a silvertongue charmer’s words have become powerful enough to hold a magical appeal for others. This effect acts as a Suggestion spell with a caster level equal to the charmer’s class level; she can use the ability three times per day. The suggestion typically involves convincing creatures that something is not at all what it seems. A peasant is truly a king’s lost son, or a bag of beans is magical, or a writ of arrest is really a scroll of commendation and credit. The target of such an attempt is entitled to a Will save (DC 14 + the charmer’s Charisma modifier).

Arcane Voice Su: At 7th level, a silvertongue charmer can dispense with material components entirely, instead using just her voice and somatic gestures for any spell she casts once per day. This includes the ability to ignore material components that have monetary value; however, material components costing more than 100 gp can be dispensed with only if the charmer makes a successful Fortitude save (DC 12 + spell level). For spells with components worth 1,000 gp or more, the DC of this save becomes 20 + spell level. If the save fails, the spell fails, and the charmer loses the spell slot for the day.

Snake Charm Su: When she attains 8th level, a silvertongue charmer’s stare becomes hypnotic and keeps others entranced. The charmer’s eyes can produce a gaze attack that holds the attention of one living creature that meets her stare; undead and constructs are immune. The charmer may affect any target creature within 10 feet by taking a full-round action to lock onto it with her stare. The target must make a Will save (DC 10 + half the charmer’s ranks in Intimidate + her Charisma modifier). If the save fails, the creature stares, unable to break away, and is dazed for that round. If the save succeeds, the creature can look away, and the charmer may not attempt another snake charm against it for 24 hours.

While locked in a staredown, both charmer and the creature are effectively dazed. The target is entitled to another Will save next round to break the staredown, but the charmer may break it at any time. If she does so, the creature immediately becomes free to act.

Temptation Sp: At 9th level, a silvertongue charmer gains the ability to cast Charm Monster as a language-dependent magical effect once per day. A silvertongue charmer can keep multiple creatures or monsters enchanted this way (a number equal to her Charisma bonus), but if she charms more than one such creature, the others grow jealous and will fight one another within 1d4 hours.

Each time this ability is used, there is a 5 percent cumulative chance that the charmer becomes ensnared in her own temptation and falls prey to a fit of narcissism, staring into a mirror or other reflecting surface, or gazing at her body in self-absorbed fascination for 1d4 rounds. When the charmer falls victim to this narcissism, the cumulative percentage chance resets to 0 and increases normally again as above.

Greater Truth Su: At 10th level, a silvertongue charmer can make entire groups of listeners believe any lie passionately and without hesitation. They may believe there is a bridge where none exists, or that a particular creature has insulted the king, or that their gold is cursed to bring them bad luck. The lie can be as outrageous as day turning to night, and the listeners will believe it and do their best to act accordingly.

This ability, usable once per day, can affect a number of creatures equal to 10 + the charmer’s Charisma bonus. Each listener is entitled to a Will save (DC 10 + half the charmer’s class level + her Charisma bonus). If the save succeeds, the listener sees right through the attempt, though this does not prevent other creatures from believing in the greater truth the charmer has described for them. The effect lasts for one hour, at which point the creatures realize they have been duped.

Table 1-1: Silvertongue Charmer Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spellcasting
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Fast talker	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Discern lies	—
3rd	+1	+1	+3	+3	Master of rhetoric	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th	+2	+1	+4	+4	Enthrall	—
5th	+2	+1	+4	+4	Confidence	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th	+3	+2	+5	+5	Smooth talk	—
7th	+3	+2	+5	+5	Arcane voice	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th	+4	+2	+6	+6	Snake charm	—
9th	+4	+3	+6	+6	Temptation	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th	+5	+3	+7	+7	Greater truth	—

Table 1-2: Master of Rhetoric Diplomacy Modifiers

Diplomacy Circumstance	DC Modifier
One or more shills in the crowd support you*	–2/shill, max. –10
Charmer has bad reputation	+2
Target of violent action is popular	+5
Target of violent action is hated	–5
Action requires petty cash or common goods from crowd	+2
Action requires weapons or valuables from crowd	+5
Crowd is already violent toward the character	+10
*Shills are not automatically successful; each one must have ranks in either Bluff or Diplomacy and must succeed at a skill check (DC 15) to add the shill modifier to a charmer’s attempt

Table 1-3: Silvertongue Charmer Spells Per Level**

Level	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	2	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	3	0*	—	—	—	—
3rd	3	1	—	—	—	—
4th	3	2	0*	—	—	—
5th	4	2	1	—	—	—
6th	4	3	2	0*	—	—
7th	4	3	2	1	—	—
8th	5	4	3	2	0*	—
9th	5	4	3	2	1	—
10th	6	4	3	3	2	0*
* Charisma bonus spells only. If no bonus, no spells are gained at this level ** Only use this table if the character had no prior spellcasting ability

Bonus Spells

In 3.6e, spellcasters who have a limited number of spells per day are granted additional spell slots based on their casting stat modifier according to the table below. In order to receive the bonus spell slots, they must already be able to cast spells of that level.

Skill Bonus	Level 0	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
1	1	1	1	0	0	0
2	2	2	1	1	1	1
3	3	3	2	2	1	1
4	4	4	2	2	1	1
5	5	5	3	2	1	1
6	6	6	3	2	2	1
7	7	7	4	2	2	1
8	8	8	4	3	2	2
9	9	9	5	3	2	2
10	10	10	5	3	3	2
11	11	11	6	4	3	2