Some people are just a bit creepy. There's that certain something about them that sends a shudder down your back, that 'someone walked on my grave' feeling.
Magnify that effect a couple of hundred times, and you have a direlock. Intimidating by their very presence, they add an aura of eldrich energy that fair crackles around them and have a habit of wielding disturbingly large and spiky swords. They disrupt magic that's cast in their presence or cause other effects by use of 'inimica' - supernatural spell-like abilities that are learned as the direlock rises in level.
Using a 'dire pool' - mechanically, points that can be expended to create various effects - the direlock powers a series of 'incunabula' and is even able to cast a limited number of spells. Arcane in the main, although if a divine patron is chosen, the direlock may access a divine spell or two as well. Another power is the 'dire mantle' which absorbs magical energy thrown at the direlock or his party.
The role of the direlock is complex but potent. A good fighter and feared by magic-users as the magic they rely on can be twisted, backfire or be negated by their powers, common folk often misunderstand their fearsome often dark appearance and think them allied with demons or worse... but they're not. (At least, not unless they so choose - this is a class which can be of any alignment.)
Some favoured class bonuses are provided - just about any race spawns the odd direlock (although I'm not sure I could take a halfling direlock seriously....); and there are several archetypes to try out as well.
This is an original idea for a potent base class, quite unlike the regular run of classes, and should prove fun to play... and perhaps even more fun as an NPC against a party that's never heard of one before!
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |