Prestige Classes

CEREBREX

Experts at finding solutions to puzzles that baffle even the greatest minds, cerebrexes also possess awesome intellectual powers that strike fear in the hearts of other spellcasters. Cerebrexes follow a path to enhance the human central nervous system - not merely the brain, but the eyes, the spine, and the senses - using magic. Those who follow this path are great thinkers and problem solvers. They are respected and feared for their ability to control not only their own minds, but also the minds of others. Cerebrexes are typically seen as aloof, absent-minded, and unaware of their surroundings. In fact, they are often so aware of their surroundings and have remembered so many facts that they simply forget - or do not care - to interact with the people around them.

Hit Die: d4.

Requirements

To qualify to become a cerebrex, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Craft (alchemy) 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.

Spells: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.

Class Skills

The cerebrex's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language (none), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Table: The Cerebrex

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the cerebrex prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Cerebrexes gain no additional proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells: At each even-numbered level gained in the cerebrex class, a character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of rebuking or controlling undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on), except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a cerebrex, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Enigma's Bane (Ex): A cerebrex knows the way to the heart of any mystery. When confronted by a puzzle, enigma, code, or riddle, she gains a circumstance bonus equal to her cerebrex level to any Intelligence checks or Intelligence-based skill checks necessary to solve it.

Scent (Su): At 2nd level, the cerebrex gains the scent ability.

Aggression Mastery (Su): At this point in her development, the 3rd-level cerebrex has mastered the areas of the brain responsible for aggression. Once per day, as a standard action, the cerebrex may either cause herself or another creature to enter a rage (as a barbarian), or alternatively to force a barbarian out of a rage. Non-barbarians rage as a 1st-level barbarian, while barbarians rage as normal. The cerebrex must touch the creature, which provokes an attack of opportunity, to use this ability. An unwilling target can make a Will save (DC 10 + one-half cerebrex level + Charisma bonus) to negate the effect.

Symphony of Nerves (Su): A 4th-level cerebrex's neural networks are now highly sensitized. Once per day, as a free action, she gains an enhancement bonus to Dexterity equal to one-half her cerebrex level. This effect lasts one round per cerebrex level.

Blindsense (Ex): At 5th level, the cerebrex's heightening senses grant her blindsense to 30 feet.

Telepathic Immunity (Su): A cerebrex of 5th level is immune to all forms of telepathy or mind reading. She may suppress and reactivate this immunity at will, as a free action.

Eidetic Memory (Ex): At 6th level, the cerebrex reaches the next level of her evolution: memory. She has perfect recall of events in all five senses. This grants her a competence bonus on all Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skill checks equal to half her cerebrex levels.

Clairaudience/Clairvoyance (Sp): By concentrating for 1 minute, a 7th-level cerebrex may expand her senses to such an extent that she can perceive an unseen area as per the clairaudience/clairvoyance spell. This ability is as the spell of the same name, as cast by a sorcerer of the cerebrex's class level.

Blindsight (Ex): An 8th-level cerebrex gains blindsight to 60 feet.

Twist the Neural Skein (Su): The 9th-level cerebrex knows the neural "shapes" of spells in her own mind so well that she can sense the traces of memorized spells in the minds of her opponents and tear them from their minds. Twice per day, as a standard action, a cerebrex can watch a known spellcaster and attempt to determine a spell that caster still has prepared. She must succeed at a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level + opponent's Intelligence modifier) to uncover a spell. The amount the check result exceeds this DC determines the highest level of spell she can find. She knows one randomly determined prepared spell of the appropriate level (or lower). The cerebrex chooses the spell level she wishes to investigate after making her check.

The cerebrex may attempt to overload the paths of the spellcaster's memory, making a discerned spell inaccessible, as if it had been cast. This requires the cerebrex to succeed at a touch attack against the opponent. She and her opponent then both make opposed Will saves. If the cerebrex wins the opposed roll, the target loses the spell. If her opponent wins, he retains the spell, but the cerebrex may try again (including another attempt that round, if she can make more than one attack per round).

This ability has no effect on spellcasters who don't prepare their spells, such as bards and sorcerers.

Neural Glimpse (Su): The cerebrex can detect minute indicators of a humanoid's intended actions even as that being becomes aware of them. In combat, this translates into an insight bonus to AC equal to the cerebrex's Intelligence modifier. Outside of combat, the cerebrex gains an insight bonus equal to her Intelligence modifier (minimum +1) on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks. She may use this ability once per day for a number of rounds equal to her cerebrex class level.

Inscrutable Mind (Su): Also at 10th level, the cerebrex has become so aware of her own mind that she gains a +4 bonus on all saves made against mind-affecting, fear, and sleep effects. In addition, whenever a cerebrex makes a saving throw against an illusion, she gains a circumstance bonus equal to her Intelligence bonus.