Game Creation – the hard way (twice).

Here is my second attempt at prestige. Sorry for the long delay, but my first Bard Prestige class kinda … imploded. It took a little while longer to come up with a new one, but I hope you like. PLEASE feel free to comment.

-”DAMN it! He’s wedged himself too far in! The little rat is sitting in some side fissure. My fireballs can’t reach him!”
-”Don’t worry about it. He can’t get out. We’ll seal the exit when we leave. YOU HEAR THAT, RAT? You’ll be trapped down here forever. Alone!”
-”Alone?” The high pitched voice cackled, and sent a chill up the half elf’s spine. “Poundpaw is never alone with his friends around!”
“Your friends are dead! We just killed the last.” Lord Pixton shook his wand uselessly at the tiny crack where the last goblin had skittered. “Why don’t you come out and join them?”
A single drum hit shot through the cavern. Then another. And another. The hits built on one another. Going faster and faster, with odd rhythms mixing in the echoes – sometimes syncing up, sometimes not. And all with a unsettling power woven through the vibrations.
-”Poundpaws friends want YOU to join them.” The goblin’s voice could barely be heard over the din.  “Hee hee hee! Ask them yourself!”
The three adventures turned just in time to see the battered bodies of the patrol they had just killed, standing again: awkwardly, unnaturally. Bashed skulls lolled around on broken necks, and   swords were raised in broken arms and the goblins again slowly shuffled forward.
-”Ask them yourselves!”

PUPPETMASTER

The Puppetmaster is a prestige class for certain savages who wish to see their bardic powers peak in a darker place than most. Most goblins learn quickly that often the only thing more plentiful than living clanmates are dead ones. And inspiring the living is useful, but … the dead offer such a larger audience to play to! Yes, it’s one thing to have your music influence people after you die – but to influence people even after THEY die? Talk about the ultimate encore!

REQUIREMENTS
non good alignment
Able to cast 5th level bard spells
15 ranks perform

CLASS SKILLS

The Puppetmaster’s class skills are?Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration(con) Craft(int) Decipher Script, Disguise, Escape artist, Forgery, Gather information, Hide, Intimidate(cha), Jump, Knowledge, Listen(wis) Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Slight of Hand, Speak Language, Spellcraft(int), Swim(str) Tumble, Use Magic Device?

Skill points at each level: 4 + Int modifier

CLASS FEATURES

Weapons and Armor -?same weapon and armor proficiencies and restrictions as Bards

SPELLS

Puppetmasters  will continue to acquire 1st through 5th level bard spells, as if they were advancing in bard levels. However, they will have only very limited access to 6th level spells, with a few sorcerer spells thrown in.

New Spell: Encore

Necromancy. Level: 3 Components: V, S, M(dried blood) Casting time: 1 full round action Range: touch Target: one creature Duration: 1hour/level. This spell is similar to “False Life” but its effects are not obvious until after the recipient falls below zero hit points (but not below -9 hit points). Then the subject will be treated as having the Diehard feat. The subject will immediately stabilize, and may take one movement or one standard action per round. Standard actions will reduce hit points by 1. If the subject reaches -10 hp, he will die. If the spell wears off before the subject is out of negative hit points, he will fall unconscious, but not lose any additional points.

Bonus Feat: Requiem
You can alter your music or virtuoso performance effects so they influence undead in addition to any other creatures they would affect.

New Spell: Puppet Master
Necromancy. Level: 6 Components: V, S, M(string) Casting Time: One Full round action Range: 30 feet radius Target: creature or creatures whose total hit dice are <= caster level Duration: length of performance + 1 round/level. This spell is similar to Animate Objects, only the subject(s) of this spell are the dead. Corpses or skeletons will begin moving again and perform whatever simple commands the spellcaster asks. They can fight with natural or simple weapons, or perform simple tasks. They cannot speak, perform magic, or other supernatural abilities they might have had when alive. The bodies are NOT converted into the undead. They are simply used as unliving tools, and will immediately collapse back when the spell ends. The “puppets” are always considered flat footed. They cannot take attacks of opportunity, but neither are they affected by any mind controlling spells. They are considered to have the same strength, Dexterity, and constituion as the puppetmaster. They will take one half the hit points of puppetmaster before they collapse. Once all manipulated corpses collapse, the spell automatically ends.

Spell: Halt Undead
As the 3rd level Wizard spell. Necromancy Components: V, S, M(pinch of sulfer and powdered garlic) Casting Time: one standard action Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level) Targets: up to 3 undead creatures, no 2 of which can be more than 30ft apart) Duration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: Will Negates Spell Resistance: yes

New Spell: Encore, Mass
As the first level puppetmaster spell, only Target is all allies in 15 ft radius

Spell: Wake the Undead
Necromancy. Components: VSM Casting Time: one standard action Range: touch Targets: one or more corpses touched Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: none Spell Resistance: no. Same as the 4th level Wizard spell Animate Dead. The puppetmaster can create Zombies and Skeletons that obey his command. Instead of an Onyx, the material component for the spell is a silk ribbon with the blood of the puppetmaster on it, tied somewhere on the body of the undead.