Financier

A financier selects one esoteric class they already possess at 1st level. This class is linked to an annuity investment which pays out esoteric progression at predetermined intervals. The selected class becomes their annuitized class.

At 2nd and 4th level, the financier progresses their annuitized class, gaining advanced esoteric abilities. Unlike other prestige classes, a financier can only advance their annuitized class rather than a class of their choice.

At 3rd and 6th level, the financier receives a much larger annuity payment on their annuitized class. They gain all class features (including progressed esoterica) and an increase in effective level for one additional level of their annuitized class as if they had gained a level of that class. (This does not grant Hit Dice, base attack bonus, saves, or skills of the annuitized class.)

A financier can lay hands on a creature and use a full-round action to create a pool of magical energy called a Miraculous Account. They can have a number of miraculous accounts equal to their Charisma modifier + their class level. Each miraculous account is supernaturally tied to the target creature’s soul, who becomes an Account Holder. Only the account holder can authorize spending any funds in their account.

The account exists until it is closed when the linked account holder exhausts all funds in the account or one week after the account holder’s death. Alternatively, a financier may choose to close any account with less than 10 gp in its balance. Any value remaining in a closed account is simply lost.

As a full-round action, two financiers (or a financier and other creature capable of accessing miraculous accounts) may transfer value between held accounts with the permission of their account holders. An account holder is aware of any effort to transfer value for their account and may grant or deny permission regardless of distance or planar location.

A financier cannot create a miraculous account for themselves until they reach 2nd level (see Commission).

A financier can perform a one minute ritual for an account holder to sacrifice any object worth 100 gp or more. A sacrificial item must have been in the account holder’s possess for at least 1 week, and the account holder must believe it to be their rightful property. The financier must touch the object to conduct this ritual.

At the end of the ritual, the item dissipates into motes of divine energy, never to be seen again. Half of the item’s market price is immediately deposited into the account holder’s miraculous account. The rest is lost as tribute to the gods or other godlike beings the financier may or may not represent.

This ability does not work on artifacts, relics, or cursed objects.

At 1st level, a financier selects one class spell list from the following list: bard, cleric, druid, paladin, ranger, witch, or wizard. This becomes their Asset Class. As a standard action and with the account holder’s permission, the financier may pray and ask for divine provenance, gaining powerful magical intervention in the form of a spell scroll. As part of this action, they conjure an ephemeral spell scroll containing a single spell from their asset class, spending value from the account holder’s miraculous account equivalent to the conjured scroll’s market price.

The contained spell may only be cast by the account holder or the financier (with all targets, areas, and/or effects of the spell chosen by the account holder). A financier can cast from a scroll they conjured with this ability without risking a mistake. A conjured scroll cannot be used for any purpose other than casting the spell written on it, nor can it be used or read by a third party in any way.

At 1st level, a financier may only use this ability to acquire 0- or 1st-level spell scrolls. Maximum spell level increases as the financier gains levels, to a maximum of 6th-level spells at 6th level. A conjured scroll lasts for 1 minute per class level or until the spell is cast.

Beginning at 2nd level, a financier gains their own miraculous account. When an account holder makes a sacrificial deposit, the financier deposits the normal half market price into the account holder’s account, but they also deposit 5% of the item’s market price into their own miraculous account.

The financier may use the value in their personal account to transact miracles as they see fit, may transfer that value to other accounts, and may use their sacrificial deposit ability to deposit value into their own account. (They gain no commission on their own sacrifices).

At 8th level, the amount of commission a financier gains increases to 10% of the item’s market price.

At 2nd level, a financier may allow an account holder to directly withdraw value from their account. The value is deducted from the account, and coins of equal value are created for the account holder. However, withdrawing funds is not free. The financier collects his commission (see above) on any amount withdrawn.

For example, a 2nd-level financier who allows an account holder to withdraw 1,000 gp from their miraculous account would gain 50 gp in commission, which is deducted from the amount withdrawn. The account holder would receive 950 gp in coin, and the financier’s miraculous account would gain 50 gp in value.

When a financier withdraws funds from their own account, 10% of the value is simply lost, possibly collected by whichever higher power governs the use of these abilities.

A financier who reaches 3rd level may choose to allow an account holder to overdraft their miraculous account, spending more value than they have to gain a more powerful miracle or withdraw additional funds in an emergency. The value in the account holder’s miraculous account becomes negative, and the account holder cannot request transacted miracles or withdraw funds until their balance once again becomes positive.

A financier’s commission rate is doubled when using sacrificial deposit to add value to a miraculous account with a negative balance. However, a financier is personally responsible for the negative balance they allow. In effect, the financier can give an account holder a loan backed by their personal funds.

If an account has a negative balance when it is closed, the financier must cover the loss from their personal account, which can cause their own balance to become negative. If the financier’s account is overdrafted and becomes negative, they lose all class features and cannot progress in this class until the account balance once again becomes positive. The one exception is that they may still use sacrificial deposit to add value to their own account.

At 4th level, a financier may select a second class from the list above as an asset class for their transact miracles ability. If a spell appears on both class lists, the financier may use whichever class they prefer when determining the price of the conjured scroll.

When a financier reaches 4th level, they gain the ability to service their account holders, regardless of distance, as long as both are on the same plane. The account holder may request a miracle as an immediate action, specifying which spell should be cast. The financier instantly becomes aware of this request, though it gives them no other knowledge or ability to communicate with the account holder.

When the financier uses their transact miracle ability to conjure and cast the requested spell using this ability, the spell may only target the account holder but may do so regardless of distance, as long as they are on the same plane. The spell is resolved as if the account holder had cast the spell on themselves.

A 5th level financier is able to accept sacrificial deposits from almost anywhere. An account holder may conduct a 10 minute ritual to mark an object as a the target for a sacrificial deposit. The financier becomes aware of the marked object and the account holder’s deposit request but receives no other information or ability to communicate. At any point during the account holder’s ritual, the financier may use their sacrificial deposit ability as if they touched the marked object, regardless of distance or planar location.

A 6th-level financier can be authorized to transact miracles on the behalf of an account holder in advance and under the conditions they request. A financier who has been authorized instantly becomes aware of any set conditions when they are met and may transact miracles on the account holder’s behalf as specified, regardless of distance or planar location.

When a financier is authorized to transact miracles with this ability, they are obligated to do so promptly and to the best of their ability when the specified conditions are met.

This ability also allows a financier to use their Protect Interests ability across planar boundaries if an account holder authorizes them to do so.

In addition, the financier gains the ability to cast sending as a spell-like ability at will but may only target their account holders.

The most powerful financiers gain an ability that few are willing to admit they possess: the ability to trade in souls. This ability can only be used with mortals. (A mortal is any creature with Intelligence 3 or higher that is not a construct, elemental, outsider, or undead.) The mortal must enter the soul bargain willingly (not under mental manipulation or through coercion, including coercion against a 3rd party), and the financier must uphold any agreements he makes as part of the bargain. Most high-level financiers only agree to become an authorized agent (see above) on behalf of a mortal as part of a soul bargain.

Bargaining for a soul requires a 1 hour ritual, at the end of which both parties must agree to the terms of the bargain. Once the two have agreed, a soul gem is formed which will claim the soul of the mortal upon death as by a soul bind spell, though this has no maximum range and works even across planes and in areas of antimagic. The soul gem is formed as part of using this ability at no additional cost to the financier.

Destroying the soul gem is the only means by which a soul bargain can be broken by the mortal or a 3rd party. If the financier fails to uphold their part of the pact, the soul gem dissolves into nothingness and the soul bargain is broken; however, the mortal is not made aware of this fact.

In addition to the normal uses for soul gems, a financier gains the following uses for souls.

Unclaimed Accounts

A financier who uses this ability to claim the soul of one of their account holders may choose to immediately close the linked account. Half of the value of that account is added to the market price of the soul gem, increasing the value of the gem.

If the account holder’s balance is negative when the soul is claimed, the financier may reduce the price of the soul gem to cover the loss rather than spending value from their personal account. If this reduces the soul gem’s value to zero, the gem is shattered and the soul released. Any remaining negative balance is paid by the financier as normal.

This ability does not affect the gem’s consumable experience.

Enhance Price

By spending value from their personal account, a financier may increase the market price of a soul gem they possess. This requires a 1 hour ritual to enhance the gem. A soul gem’s price cannot be increased to more than double its original market price.

This does not allow the financier to ignore the normal 10% loss for withdrawing funds from their personal account.

A financier can use Enhance Price on any soul gem they possess, even if they gained that gem through means other than a Soul Bargain.