PRESTIGE CLASSES
CHAPTER 5
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Malath can react to danger before Requirements To qualify to become an iron mind, a character must fulfill her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains all the following criteria. her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class even when caught Base Attack Bonus: +3. flat-footed. Skills: Concentration 8 ranks. Woodland Stride (Ex): Malath can move through natural Feats: Armor Proficiency (heavy), Invest Armor*, Iron Will. thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at her Powers: Able to manifest one 1st-level psionic power. normal speed and without damage or other impairment. *New feat described in Chapter 6. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her. Possessions: +2 mithral chainmail, Large +1 dire flail, Large Class Skills The iron mind’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) master work composite longbow (+6 Str bonus) with 30 are Autohypnosis* (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Large arrows, gauntlets of ogre power, amulet of natural armor Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics)* (Int), Profession +1, cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +1, wand of cure light (Wis), Psicraft* (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str). See wounds (50 charges), potion of cure moderate wounds, 6 pp. Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. *A psionic skill described in Chapter 3 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Elite warriors trained to resist mental compulsions of all Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. kinds, members of the iron mind prestige class defend dwarf and gnome kingdoms against intrusions by mind Class Features flayers, dark elf enchanters, and the like. An iron mind All of the following are class features of the iron mind becomes one with her armor, and its presence protects prestige class. her from mental assault as thoroughly as it wards against Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Iron minds gain no physical blows. Iron minds combine the protection and proficiency with any weapon or armor. assurance that their armor provides with rigorous training Powers Known: At every level except 1st and 6th, an to overcome physical injury through mental power into one iron mind gains additional power points per day and access seamless fighting technique. to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever Not content to simply play a defensive role, iron minds manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestrain fiercely for confrontations against mind-controlling tige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a foes. They then seek out those foes before the threat to their character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metahomelands grows too great. Too few to march openly against psionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of iron mind flayer cities, the iron minds instead concentrate their mind to the level of whatever manifesting class the character efforts against powerful solitary foes: illithid scouts and has, then determines power points per day, powers known, envoys, evil fey, and others capable of mind control. and manifester level accordingly. Dwarf psychic warriors are by far the most likely individIf a character had more than one manifesting class before uals to follow the path of the iron mind, but other races or she became an iron mind, she must decide to which class classes occasionally dedicate themselves to the philosophy. she adds the new level of iron mind for the purpose of Prospective iron minds from other races and classes often determining power points per day, powers known, and multiclass before beginning their training in the prestige manifester level. class, taking levels in ranger and wilder more frequently Armored Mind (Su): An iron mind trains extensively in than other class levels. Wherever mind flayers or other such foes menace dwarf her armor, learning to trust its protective qualities implicitly. communities, iron minds are there to bolster the mental An iron mind wearing heavy armor can expend her psionic defenses of their compatriots. Iron minds try to blend in among focus to add a morale bonus equal to the armor bonus from the dwarves they’re with, then surprise attackers by revealing her armor (not including any enhancement bonus) to a their formidable psionic powers at a crucial moment. single Will save. Adaptation: This prestige class is more difficult to deconUsing armored mind is an immediate action (see the Swift struct and modify than others because it draws on so many disand Immediate Actions sidebar, page 136). The iron mind parate themes: enmity toward mind controllers, the dwarven must decide whether or not to use this ability before rolling desire for collective defense, and the power of psionics. Changthe saving throw. ing any one of these elements results in a different class. An iron mind can use this ability once per day at 1st level, For example, the drow might have a prestige class designed twice per day at 4th level, three times per day at 7th level, for protection against mind flayers, but it would eliminate and four times per day at 10th level. the Armor Proficiency (heavy) requirement and replace the Damage Reduction (Ex): When psionically focused and damage reduction class feature (and perhaps the lend resolve wearing heavy armor, an iron mind of 2nd level or higher class feature) with abilities more evocative of the drow, such gains damage reduction 1/—. This damage reduction stacks as better spell resistance or new spell-like abilities. with damage reduction of the same sort (such as that of a Hit Die: d10. barbarian), but not with other types.
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