Crystal Proselyte

to travel any less time) and a maximum number ofyears into the past equal to 500 × his effective manifester level.A chronorebel can spend a maximum ofone day per effective manifester level in the past before he and all he brought with him are automatically pulled back into their present by a temporal elastic spasm.Nothing can prevent this elastic spasm, except maybe deific intervention or epic-level psionic effects.

The farther the chronorebel moves into the past,the less likely he is to be tripped up by the Edict ofTime.Those who make a habit oftraveling the minimum temporal distance have become very good at blending in so as to avoid creating temporal ripples.Whether moving into the recent or far past,a chronorebel’s worst nightmare is to return to the present only to discover a change,either subtle or great.A subtle change might be a sculpture erected in the town square where none previously existed.A great change could be as drastic as the color ofthe sun,or even a shift in the predominant race on the world.Major changes ofthis magnitude,ifnot fixed,end up budding offa new parallel world,leaving the original world unaffected—ofcourse, this doesn’t save the chronorebel from the retribution ofthe Edict ofTime.To escape the Edict,the chronorebel must use this power again to undo whatever influence was exerted the first time.

When the chronorebel travels into the past,he does not move physically.He appears in the same physical location he was in when he left the present.Ifthis would mean appearing in a solid object that existed in the past,he is immediately pulled back to the present by a particularly violent temporal elastic spasm,dealing 6d6 points ofdamage to all wouldbe temporal travelers.When he appears,the amount ofpersonal timeframe time spent in the past has elapsed in the traveler’s present.Thus,ifthe chronorebel spends two days and 10 minutes in the past,when he returns to his present, two days and 10 minutes have passed.Ifhe returns to the present to find a solid object now exists where he left,he (and his companions,ifany) appears in the nearest unoccupied space from where he departed.

The gradual upgrade from frail flesh to unyielding crystal is a transformation for the psionic few capable ofappreciating the purity and power ofliving mineral.The crystal proselyte seeks ascendancy above mortal skin and bones,and he discovers an affinity in himselffor the most wondrous apotheosis possible.The bell-like tones ofpurity that accompany those who are partly and fully ascended to crystal reveal the power inherent in their very bodies.

Initially,a crystal proselyte doesn’t seem dramatically changed—a crystal eye,veins ofcrystal running through his skin,or crystal teeth are common for those who have just begun the journey.Later,a crystal proselyte can exchange whole limbs for crystal,including large portions ofhis skin. No one who sees him can deny his mineral strength,especially when he allows his power to visibly blaze forth in psionic light and bell-like tones as loud as thunder.

Crystal proselytes usually live and work in ancient places, where they research lost psionic races and attempt to better understand their ties to crystal.Others follow naturally crystalline creatures,ever curious about their own similarities and differences.PC crystal proselytes seek adventure like any psion, reveling in their enhanced durability and focused power.

Hit Die: d4

Requirements

To qualify to become a crystal proselyte,a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Appraise: 2 ranks

Knowledge (psionics): 8 ranks Perform: 1 rank Manifesting: Ability to manifest two or more 2nd-level psionic powers Special: The crystal proselyte must break a crystal psionic item worth 1,000 gp or more.Doing so allows the proselyte to mentally infuse the essence ofthe crystal into his flesh.

Crystal Proselyte

Base Mode Class Attack Fortitude Reflex Will Check Level Bonus Save Save Save Bonus Special Effective Manifester Level

1 +0 +2 +0 +2 +0 Infuse crystal — 2 +1 +3 +0 +3 +0 Heat resistant +1 level ofexisting class 3 +1 +3 +1 +3 +1 Crystal blaze +1 level ofexisting class 4 +2 +4 +1 +4 +1 Crystal knowledge +1 level ofexisting class 5 +2 +4 +1 +4 +1 Crystal adaptation — 6 +3 +5 +2 +5 +2 Electricity resistant +1 level ofexisting class 7 +3 +5 +2 +5 +2 Crystal mind +1 level ofexisting class 8 +4 +6 +2 +6 +2 Crystal knowledge +1 level ofexisting class 9 +4 +6 +3 +6 +3 Crystal carapace +1 level ofexisting class 10 +5 +7 +3 +7 +3 Crystalline —

Class Skills

The crystal proselyte class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int),Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha),Knowledge (psionics) (Int),Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis),Psicraft (Int), and Remote View (Int,exclusive skill).See Chapter Four:Skills in the Player’s Handbook and Chapter Two:Skills in the Psionics Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

Class Features

All ofthe following are class features ofthe crystal proselyte prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Crystal proselytes gain no additional proficiency in any weapon or armor.

Effective Manifester Level: At every level indicated on the table for the prestige class,the character gains new power points per day and access to discovered powers as ifhe had also gained a level in the psionic class he belonged to before adding the prestige class.He does not,however,gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (such as bonus feats,metapsionic or item creation feats,mode check bonuses,hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class,and so on).He does gain the following benefits:an increased effective level ofpsionic manifestation,additional power points,effective additional levels for psicrystal powers,and additional free manifestations of0-level powers.Ifa character had more than one psionic class before becoming a member ofthis prestige class,he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes ofdetermining effective manifester level.

For example,a 7th-level psion/6th-level crystal proselyte has a character level of13 and a manifester level of11.So,powers he manifests that have level-dependent parameters are manifested as ifthe character were 11th level.

Infuse Crystal (Su): A crystal proselyte uses a psionic crystal item (1,000 gp or more in value) to catalyze a crystalline morphological change in his own body.The process,sometimes called crystal ascendancy,is painful and even a little dangerous.Once the crystal proselyte breaks the item,the ritual requires 10 rounds from initiation to completion.Once begun,nothing can halt its progress.The crystal essence partly replaces the outer layer of the character’s skin in an agonizing process that deals 1d4 points ofdamage each round ofthe ritual.

When finished,the crystal proselyte has exchanged a thin layer of dermal flesh for crystal.However,as he gains additional levels ofthe prestige class,crystal replaces more and more ofhis body,including deeperlayers ofhis skin,whole limbs,and some ofhis internal organs! The character determines the color ofthe crystal,and once chosen,the color remains constant.

The crystal grants the character a +4 natural armor bonus,the ability to produce illumination equal to daylight from his crystal portions in up to a 60-foot-radius,and the ability to produce bell-like tones ofutter purity at will.The character can use these tones to produce a countertone that negates magical or psionic effects that depend on sound (but not powers with audible displays or spells with somatic components).

Countertone (Su): The crystal proselyte can emit a countertone as a move-equivalent action costing 1 power point per round.During each round the countertone sounds,any characters and creatures within 30 feet who are affected by sonic or language-dependent psionic or magical attacks (such as sound burst or command) gain another saving throw to resist.

Heat Resistant (Ex): At 2nd level,the crystal infusion spreads further,granting the character fire resistance 5.