The Liminal - LotFP Custom Class

The Liminal

         Everyone dies. Whether through violence, old age, disease or stranger things besides, Atropos comes for all of us. But what of those the feel her touch, but do not fully succumb? Some simply find that they embrace life more readily before, the world around them is more vibrant and all the more wonderful with having briefly tasted mortality. Those few that become what are known as Liminals have a far more surreal experience in store for them. Having become untethered during their brief death, they find themselves with one foot in the grave from that day forward and the souls of the departed become visible to them. Most of these folk simply make peace with their new state, some dismiss the ghosts that they can now see as delusions, while some lose themselves to drink and drugs to numb the terror their new senses give them. Others are drawn to the new possibilities that their new state opens for them, they become death speakers, sin-eaters and exorcists, shepherding the dead to their proper ends. The worst are little more than hungry ghosts or specters who still happen to have a body.

         No matter what form they take, the abilities of Liminals make them objects of dread and suspicion to those who are aware of what they can do. It is whispered that their airy souls can take flight from their bodies, to bedevil good folk and work wicked ends upon the world. Worse still, it is known that they can extend these abilities to others, perhaps even damning them to a similar fate. Even as their powers grow, their corporeal forms begin to grow steadily weaker and more wane, marking them outwardly with the signs of the world that they already half-exist within. In spite of (or perhaps because of) their often grim backgrounds and macabre abilities, Liminals often find themselves eagerly welcomed in mercenary or adventuring bands.

Level	Experience	HP	SP	Paralyze	Poison	Breath	Device	Magic	Figments Known
1	0	1d8	1d4	14	13	16	12	15	2
2	2,300	1d6	1d6	14	13	16	12	15	2
3	4,600	1d6	1d6	14	13	16	12	15	3
4	9,200	1d6	1d8	12	11	14	10	12	3
5	18,400	1d4	1d8	12	11	14	10	12	4
6	36,800	1d4	1d10	12	11	14	10	12	4
7	73,600	1d2	1d10	10	9	12	8	9	5
8	147,200	1	1d10	10	9	12	8	9	5
9	294,400	1	1d10	10	9	12	8	9	6
10	441,600	+2*	+2*	8	7	8	6	6	6
11	588,800	+2*	+2*	8	7	8	6	6	7
12	736,000	+2*	+2*	8	7	8	6	6	7
13+	147,200+/lvl	+2*	+2*	6	5	6	4	5	8

*: Constitution/Charisma modifiers no longer apply. Liminal much choose whether to apply this bonus to HP or SP

B/X & OSE Rules

Requirements	Minimum CON 9, CHA 9
Prime Requisite	CON and CHA
Hit Dice	Special - see class description
Thac0 Table	As Cleric
Maximum Level	14
Armor	Any, including shields
Weapons	Any
Languages	Alignment, Common

          Liminals can perceive intangible undead such as Ghosts, Shadows, Specters and Wraiths without the aid of magic.

          Liminals are quasi-spellcasters who are able to work eerie effects known as Figments. The Liminals form their Figments by casting their spirit own out into the world around them, either whole or in part. This allows them to temporarily leave their bodies, or to interact with ghostly or otherwordly beings. Their capacity for this is represented by the second hit die on their class table, which are known as Spirit Points. Liminals gain Spirit Points just as they would hit points, though they add their Charisma modifier instead of their Constitution for the purposes of gaining bonus Spirit Points. Figments cost Spirit Points to cast and maintain. Liminals over 9th level can choose to add their bonus hit points to their SP instead of their HP. If a Liminal runs out of SP, they may choose to cast their Figments using their HP instead. Expended Spirit Points are regained at the end of a resting period in a place of relative safety for at least 10 hours.

        While Figments are similar to spells in many ways, they do not have the same restrictions that spells have when it comes to slots or spells per day. Liminals may cast as many Figments as they wish per day provided that they have the necessary remaning SP/HP to produce the Figment; if a Liminal would run out of SP while trying to cast a Figment, the excess is dealt to their HP. Unless otherwise stipulated only one Figment may be active at a time and only take one round to cast. Figments do not have level requirements, nor do they require any form of vocal or material components. A Liminal starts the game with two Figments of their choice and gain more of their choice as they level as detailed in their class table.

Figment Name	SP Cost	Effect
Thought Stab	1d4 per die dealt	Lashing out with the darkest aspects of their souls, the Liminal damages their own spirit in order to damage their foe. The Liminal can inflict their wrath on any one they wish within 50ft, simply rolling as many d4s in damage as they risked in SP to cast the Figment. A Liminal cannot spend more than that own level in dice for this attack.
Possession	1d4 per round for animals, 1d8 per round for humanoids	Locking eyes with their intended target, the Liminal attempts to overwhelm their control of their own body by possessing them with their spirit. The target of this Figment is entitled to a save, gaining advantage if they have more HD than the Liminal, with the Figment having no effect if they succeed. On a failure the Liminal is allowed control of the target's next turn, though attempts at self-harm entitles the target to another save. The Liminal perceives using the target's senses, and their own body is reduced to a comatose state while the Figment is active. The Liminal may renew this Figment as long as they wish after the initial attempt.
Spectral Jaunt	2/round for caster, 1d3 a round for others	The Liminal steps fully into the spirit world or pushes a willing target into it. This Figment renders the target intangible, but not invisible as long as the Liminal maintains it. In return for doubling the cost, the Liminal may also allow the target to become invisible. This effect immediately ends if the target takes any sort of hostile action.
Ghost Hand	1d2+1 for every 2lbs of item.	Casting their souls out from themselves, the Liminal can manipulate distant objects as if they were next to them. This grasp, while relatively weak, is fine enough in control to allow the Liminal to write or tie a string.
Strike the Beyond	2 per touch/attack for caster, 3 per touch/attack for ally	Reaching past the barrier separating our world from the ethereal, the Liminal (or one of their allies) can strike incorporeal or intangible enemies without penalty. The Liminal need not spend an action to cast this Figment for their own attacks, though they must pay the cost before they know the results of their attack roll.
Crypt Tales	1d6 for each question	As per the Speak With Dead spell.
Play Dead	1d4 per minute, with an additional +2 for each additional target	Channeling the moment of their narrowly evaded demise, the Liminal or their targets appear to outward observation to be a moldering corpse, too decayed to allow any form of identification.
Call the Ancestor	1d8 per minute	Calling upon their connection to the undead, the Liminal beckons a ghost to their side. This spirit can perform duties as per Unseen Servant, as well as bedevil their enemies with relatively weak attacks (+1, 1d4+1 damage). The Spirit has a number of HD equal to the Liminal's level divided by two (round up)
Haunting Visions	1d4 per minute	The ethereal plane is a place of nearly infinite possibility. Pulling some of the protean matter into reality, the Liminal can produce complex illusions which can encompass sight or sound. These illusions fade if touched or are otherwise interacted with directly.
Airy Step	1d4 per round	Forgetting the crass demands of gravity, the caster of this Figment can hover, float and fly as long as they maintain the effect. The Liminal simply gains a fly speed equal to their walking speed.
Phantom Arms	1d4 per minute	Dragging some of the raw ectoplasm of the ethereal plane into reality, the Liminal forms it into what they may need. These must be relatively simple objects, a weapon such as a sword or bow would be fine, but a firearm or clock would be too complex. Conjured objects must be small enough to be wielded in two hands, and they dissipate as soon as the Liminal stops maintaining them.
Consign to Below	1d3 per lb of object	Grasping an object firmly, the Liminal focuses on it intently and then shunts it into the realms beyond. Unattended items simply disappear, while those wielding or holding a targeted object are entitled to a save versus Magic to keep it. Magic items cannot be affected by this Figment. If the Liminal also possesses the Phantom Arms Figment, then they may retrieve objects banished in this way, provided that they're in the same place where they left them. Retrieving an object costs the same amount of SP as it did to banish it.