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Sunday, October 4, 2020

Pathfinder Prestige Class: The Plutomancer

This is a re-work of a class I wrote in 2009. Hopefully this is a better version. 



Tangible rewards in the form of money are staples of dungeon adventuring, yet sometimes extracting those riches is a herculean task: art objects, luxurious furniture, multi-ton adamantine doors and dragon hoards filled with millions of copper and silver coins are all valuable, yet exceptionally difficult to transport for sale. Likewise, a struggling dungeon delver is often frustrated by his inability to sell his hard-won gains at anything near what they cost on the market; half price seems to be the default unless advanced haggling rules are used. And may the gods help you if your Game Master knows anything about economics and decides to rule that you have flooded the local economy with gold and driven up  the prices of even the most basic goods and services.

The solution to all of these dilemmas is the Plutomancer prestige class. Whether a cleric in service to a god whose portfolio involves greed, commerce, or thievery, or a mage who exemplifies the classic struggle to turn lead into gold, the Plutomancer is a welcome addition to any party by the simple expedient of acting as a force multiplier for looting.

(Author's Note: In terms of what this class brings to the table, i.e. mainly flavor,  non-combat skill bonuses, and more efficient looting of treasure, it ought to be a class archetype and not a prestige class. However, making this a compatible archetype for multiple classes is more effort than I want to go through, and I do want this available to arcanists, clerics, oracles, and wizards. Therefore I have made it a five-level PrC with a low entry that player characters can dip into as they see fit.)

Requirements
Feats: Skill Focus (Appraise), Skill Focus (Craft: Alchemy)
Spells: Ability to cast Locate Object, plus either Blood Money or Stone Shape and at least one other transmutation spell of 3rd level or higher.

Class Skills
The Plutomancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (History), Linguistics, Perception, Profession (Merchant), Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Hit Die: d6.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Plutomancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new Plutomancer level is gained, the 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 she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds her Plutomancer levels to the level of some other spellcasting class she has, and then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.

Class Abilities
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecialSpells per Day
1st+0+0+0+1Bling, Mind on my Money+1 level of existing class
2nd+1+1+1+1Deep Pockets 1, Money on my Mind +1 level of existing class
3rd+1+1+1+2Moneychanger, Secret Chest+1 level of existing class
4th+2+1+1+2Deep Pockets 2, Pawnbroker+1 level of existing class
5th+2+2+2+3Fence From Beyond, Flesh to Ore+1 level of existing class

Bling (Su)
The Plutomancer adds the spell Blood Money to their spell list if it is not already listed.

Additionally, all spells give more expensive-seeming results: Create Food and Water will make a sumptuous feast with fine wine; Mage Armor garbs the caster in finery, etc. This is an Illusionary effect.
Mind on my Money (Ex)
The Plutomancer may use their Wisdom or Charisma modifier instead of Intelligence for the Appraise skill. Additionally, when selling items they may gain +10% resale value for each level of Plutomancer. If they choose to do so they cannot use alternate means to increase the sale price, such as through the use of Diplomacy or spells. 
Example: a Plutomancer wants to sell a 100 gp item. Normally that item sells for 50 gp. A 1st level Plutomancer sells it for (50+[10%*50]) or 55 gold, a 3rd level Plutomancer sells it for 65 gold, and a 5th level sells it for 75 gold.
Deep Pockets 1 (Su)
The Plutomancer is immune to encumbrance effects from coins, gems and jewelry; they effectively weigh nothing. Futhermore, extradimensional storage items such as Portable Holes and Bags of Holding weigh 50% less and can carry 50% more (both weight and volume) when within 50 feet of a Plutomancer. If a magic item which is packed beyond its base capacity leaves this radius, it disgorges items at random until the weight and/or volume overload is equalized. 

Secret Chest loaded with this ability is an exception to this rule and does not disgorge its contents when sent to the Ethereal Plane.

Money on my Mind (Ex)
The Plutomancer gains a bonus equal to their caster level to all Perception skill checks for finding treasure, or for detecting another's use of Sleight of Hand to steal from them. Additionally, when buying items they may subtract 5% from the purchase price for each level of Plutomancer. If they choose to do so they cannot use alternate means to decrease the sale price, such as through the use of Diplomacy or spells. 
Example: a Plutomancer wants to buy a 100 gp item. A 1st level Plutomancer purchases it for (100-[5%*100]) or 95 gold, a 3rd level Plutomancer purchases it for 85 gold, and a 5th level purchases it for 75 gold.

    Moneychanger (Sp)
    The Plutomancer adds the spell Stone Shape to their spell list if it is not already listed. 

    A number of times per day equal to their level in this class, a Plutomancer may transmute currency and gems, but not other types of valuables, into other forms of currency and/or gems. (For example, 40,000 copper coins become 40 platinum coins; useful for hauling away a dragon hoard). Any amount of currency may be transmuted in this manner, but it must all be touching and the Plutomancer must be able to touch at least one of the valuables. 

    The transmuted coins, bank notes, trade bars etc. all retain their other characteristics such as size, weight, portraits, etc. of their country of origin; however, a successful Linguistics skill check will change these characteristics into whichever details the Plutomancer desires, be it the design of another country or even a wholly original design. 

    Secret Chest (Sp)
    Once per day, the Plutomancer may summon and dismiss a Secret Chest as if they cast the spell. The masterwork chest and its miniature replica must still be purchased, although Money on my Mind may be used to reduce the cost. Unlike the spell, the chest does not disappear after 60 days, although it is still lost if the miniature chest is lost or destroyed. 

    Deep Pockets 2 (Su)
    Coins, gems and jewelry have neither weight nor volume when a Plutomancer loads them into extradimensional storage, such as a Portable Hole, Handy Haversack, Bag of Holding or a Secret Chest. 

    Pawnbroker (Sp)
    Once per day a Plutomancer can, with a touch, convert up to 100 pounds per caster level of non-living objects into their worth in gold coins, as determined by an Appraisal skill check (magical items get a saving throw vs. DC 10 + one-half spellcaster level + spellcasting attribute modifier; living items and artifacts are unaffected). 

    Note that this value is based upon intrinsic material worth, not weight or artistry; even a ton of stone is still only worth 1 gold, and a masterpiece painting is nothing but pigments on canvas, so converting objects of art into coins will yield less than their cultural worth. 

    Pawnbroker only affects free-standing objects and not those which are attached to, and therefore could be considered parts of, a larger object. Furthermore, a large  item cannot be partially converted; the conversion must be all or nothing. 

    Pawnbroker may be used to convert a Flesh to Ore victim into currency.

    Fence From Beyond (Sp)
    The Plutomancer always has someone they can call to help facilitate commerce. Once a day they can conjure (calling) a mercane (for magical items) or a witchwyrd (for more mundane valuables) for buying or selling goods. This ability is a variant on summoning, not calling, and the summoned creature will only trade with the Plutomancer. The Plutomancer may use Mind on my Money and Money on my Mind to try and improve any deals; the Fence's attitude starts out at Indifferent

    Whether or not a Fence From Beyond buys the Plutomancer's wares is at the GM's discretion, as is if the Fence has any rare or magical items for sale. Highly specific or unusual requests may require the merchant to "get back with the Plutomancer on that one" (GM's discretion whether the merchant is successful or not). A Fence From Beyond will not buy living creatures, or creatures that were once living but are no longer, such as those converted by Flesh to Ore.

    The Fence will not engage in combat or do anything else except buy or sell, and will leave the moment they are attacked. A Fence From Beyond injured or cheated by the Plutomancer or their associates will leave and not return, spreading the word that the Plutomancer is not to be trusted; an atonement at a rate of 1,000 gp per character level is sufficient to buy back the Fence's indifference. A Fence From Beyond killed in such a manner, or by being summoned into danger, requires 2,500 gp per character level of atonement. 

    Flesh to Ore (Sp)
    Once per week, the Plutomancer may cast Flesh to Ore as a Spell-Like Ability (DC 10 + one-half spellcaster level + spellcasting attribute modifier). This is nearly identical to Flesh to Stone, but there are veins of gemstones and precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc, but not special materials like mithril or adamantine) worth 300 gp per caster level throughout the stone. 

    This gold cannot be removed without destroying the statue.

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