For a PbP game here, I've slapped together a combination of spellcasting class, and two PrC's that would otherwise fit well together, both one of which are considered a bit weak due to immunities. Since they're each 5 level classes, this is really just losing the main abilities of one of the classes in favor of spellcasting. The ability they focus on,
detect thoughts, has great utility but is also easily bypassed by many individual creatures and creature types. Enjoy!
Here it is:
Cabinet Adept Requirements: Concentration 8 ranks, Disguise 8 ranks, ability to use detect thoughts as a spell or SLA, one of these feats: Deceitful, Disturbing Visage†, Master Linguist, Mutable Body†, Negotiator, Persona Immersion†, Persuasive, Quick Change†, Racial Emulation†, Recognize Imposter, Social Intuition†*.
(†: Changeling Only (see Races of Eberron, feats section), *Custom feat incorporating the Social Intuition ability of the Changeling Rogue Racial Substitution level (RoE, 122), taking the substitution level counts as having the feat)
Hit Die: d6
BAB: 3/4
Saves: Fort: Poor, Ref & Will: Good
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Lvl Spec.
1 Combat Telepathy, Spellcasting, Doppelganger Insights
2 Anticipate, Advanced Detection, Spherical Detect Thoughts
3 Thought Trick: Daze, Bonus Feat
4 Faster Mindscan
5 Mulitple Surface Thoughts (2)
6 Thought Trick: Disrupt
7 Instant Mindscan
8 Thought Trick: Confuse, Bonus Feat
9 Multiple Surface Thoughts (4)
10 Thought Trick: Stun
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Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), Listen, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, and Use Magic Device.
Combat Telepathy: You can make a Concentration check (DC 10 + damage taken during the previous round) at the beginning of your turn. If you succeed, you can maintain concentration on detect thoughts as a free action. If you cast a spell or use another spell-like ability, detect thoughts ends.
Doppelganger Insights: At 1st level, you gain a +2 insight bonuse on Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks.
Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells or invocations known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class that grants the ability to detect thoughts, and that you belonged to prior adding the prestige class level. You do not, however gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you have multiple spellcasting or invocation using classes that grant the ability to use detect thoughts, you must choose which one to advance at each level.
If you have no levels in a spellcasting class, you gain spellcasting as a
magewright (EBCS, 256, essentially an arcane adept) of your cabinet adept level, except that you use the spell list below. You do not gain levels in the
magewright class nor any of the other features of that class, but simply adopt that class's spellcasting progression and the spell list below as the spellcasting ability of this class.
Advanced Detection: At 2nd level and every even level, the save DC for creatures to resist your detecting their surface thoughts increases by one.
Anticipate: At 2nd level, you may add your charisma bonus as an insight bonus to your AC versus attacks by any creature whose surface thoughts you are detecting. You may also add an equivalent insight bonus to your attacks versus any creature whose thoughts you're detecting.
Spherical Detect Thoughts: At 2nd level, you can widen the area of your detect thoughts spell or ability into a sphere centered on you, rather than a cone. The radius of the sphere is equal to the length of the cone.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd level and again at 8th level, you gain a bonus feat that must be selected from the following list: Deceitful, Disturbing Visage†, Master Linguist, Mutable Body†, Negotiator, Persona Immersion†, Persuasive, Quick Change†, Racial Emulation†, Recognize Imposter, Social Intuition†*. You must meet all the prerequisites for that feat. (†: Changeling Only, *Custom feat incorporating the Social Intuition ability of the Changeling Rogue Racial Substitution level, taking the substitution level counts as having the feat.)
Thought Trick: At 3rd level, you gain the ability to tweak the minds you're reading. A thought trick works only against a creature with Hit Dice equal to or lower than your character level. Most thought tricks allow Will saves to negate the effect (DC is the same as the DC of your detect thoughts spell or ability), and the disrupt thought trick allows a Concentration check against the same DC. All thought tricks are mind-affecting compulsion effects.
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Daze: At 3rd level, you can daze a creature whose thoughts you are reading, as a swift action. A successful Will save negates this effect.
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Disrupt: At 6th level, you can, as an immediate action, distract a creature whose thoughts you are reading from casting a spell, using a spell-like ability, or performing any other activity that might require a Concentration check (see the Concentration skill description, page 69 of the Player’s Handbook). A successful Concentration Check allows them to ignore your disruption.
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Confuse: At 8th level, you can confuse a creature whose thoughts you are reading, as a swift action. On a failed Will save, the creature becomes confused for 1 round.
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Stun: At 10th level, you can stun a creature whose thoughts you are detecting, as a swift action. If the creature fails its Will save, it is stunned for 1 round.
Faster Mindscan: At 4th level, in the round when you activate detect thoughts, you detect the presence or absence of thoughts and the Intelligence score of each thinking mind in the area. In the next round, you detect the surface thoughts of any one mind in the area.
Multiple Surface Thoughts: At 5th level, you can simultaneously detect the surface thoughts of any two creatures who fail their Will saves. This means that you gain anticipate bonuses against both of them. Once per round as a free action, you can choose new minds to listen in on. At 9th level, you can simultaneously detect the surface thoughts of four creatures.
Instant Mindscan: At 7th level, you now gain all the information from detect thoughts (presence or absence of minds, Intelligence scores, and surface thoughts) in the same round you activate the spell or ability. Unwilling targets still get Will saves to keep their surface thoughts secret.
Cabinet Adept Spell list:0 Level: dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, know direction, light, prestidigitation, purify food and drink, and read magic.
1st Level: Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Charm Person, Detect Secret Doors
, Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Hypnotism, Magic Aura, Magic Mouth, Obscure Object, Silent Image, Sleep, Undetectable Alignment, Ventriloquism.
2nd Level: Calm Emotions, Cat's Grace, Daze Monster, Enthrall, Fox's Cunning, Invisibility, Locate object, Minor Image, Misdirection, Silence, Suggestion, Tongues, Whispering Wind.
3rd Level: Charm Monster, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Deep Slumber, Gaseous Form, Glibness, Illusory Script, Major Image, Nondetection, Scrying, Secret Page, See Invisibility, Speak With Animals.
I took the spellcasting idea from Nosomatic Chirurgeon (Dragonmarked, 114). I think all spellcasting advancing classes ought to have a similar clause and perhaps a custom list like this. This list is pretty focused on detection, manipulation, and secrecy, without much else, but for a little buffing. As an adept, you'll only get 3rd level casting by 10th, but that's better than getting nothing at all.
