Revenant (Base Class, Pathfinder RPG, PEACH)

[Beholder87]

This is my first post, and my first time unleashing my homebrew upon the masses. :smalltongue:

Revenant

Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Hit Die: d10.


Class Skills

The revenant's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

REVENANT
{table=head]Level|Base AttackBonus|FortSave|Ref[br]Save|Wil[br]Save|Special|1st|2nd|3rd|4th

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Aura of evil, detect good, smite good 1/day|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Unholy blessing, sneak attack +1d6|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Malign aura|-|-|-|-

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Channel negative energy, smite good 2/day|0|-|-|-

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Unholy pact, sneak attack +2d6|1|-|-|-

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Summon undead I, 1/day|1|-|-|-

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Smite good 3/day|1|0|-|-

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Unholy resilience, sneak attack +3d6|1|1|-|-

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Summon undead II|2|1|-|-

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Smite good 4/day|2|1|0|-

11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+3|Unholy durability, sneak attack +4d6|2|1|1|-

12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+4|Summon undead III, 2/day|2|2|1|-

13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+4|Smite good 5/day|3|2|1|0

14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+4|Unholy will, sneak attack +5d6|3|2|1|1

15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+5|Summon undead IV|3|2|2|1

16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+5|Smite good 6/day|3|3|2|1

17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+5|Unholy toughness, sneak attack +6d6|4|3|2|1

18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+6|Summon undead V, 3/day|4|3|2|2

19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+6|Smite good 7/day|4|3|3|2

20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+6|Unholy perfection, sneak attack +7d6|4|4|3|3[/table]


[B]Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Revenants are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all types of armor (heavy, medium and light).

Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a revenant's aura of evil (see detect evil spell) is equal to her revenant class level.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, a revenant can use detect good, as the spell.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, a revenant may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per revenant level. If the revenant accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.
At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the revenant may smite good one additional time per day, as indicated on the following table, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.

Unholy Blessing (Su): At 2nd level, a revenant gains a profane bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if positive) on all attack rolls made while flanking. This bonus is in addition to the normal +2 bonus granted by flanking.

Sneak Attack (Ex): At 2nd level, if a revenant can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The revenant’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the revenant flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 2nd level, and it increases by 1d6 every three revenant levels thereafter, to a maximum of 7d6 at level 20. Should the revenant score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.
Unlike a rogue, a revenant cannot cause nonlethal damage with her sneak attack, nor can she make a sneak attack with a ranged weapon.
The revenant must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A revenant cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

Malign Aura (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a revenant radiates an aura of pure evil. Each enemy within 10 feet of her suffers a -2 morale penalty on all attack rolls.

Channel Negative Energy (Su): When a revenant reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to channel negative energy. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier. She channels negative energy as a cleric of three levels lower would.

Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a revenant gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells which are drawn from the revenant spell list. A revenant must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a revenant must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a revenant’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the revenant’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a revenant can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day.
Her base daily spell allotment is given on the following table. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. When the table indicates that the revenant gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Charisma score for that spell level.
A revenant prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast an inflict spell in its place. A revenant may prepare and cast any spell on the revenant spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a revenant has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is half her revenant level.

Unholy Pact (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a revenant forms a pact with her dark god. This pact can take one of two forms.
The first is a higher understanding of her relationship with her god, granting the revenant one of the following cleric domains: darkness, death, destuction, evil, law, strength, or war. When determining the powers and bonus spells granted by this domain, the revenant’s effective cleric level is equal to half her revenant level.
The second bond allows a revenant to gain the service of a skeletal steed. This mount is usually a skeletal heavy warhorse (for a Medium revenant) or a skeletal warpony (for a Small revenant).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a revenant may magically call her mount from the grave in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the revenant’s level. The mount immediately rises from the ground adjacent to the revenant and remains for 2 hours per revenant level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the revenant may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the revenant’s mount die, it crumbles to a pile of bones, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The revenant may not call another mount for 30 days or until she gains a revenant level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the revenant takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

Summon Undead (Sp): Once per day, as a standard action, a revenant of 6th level can summon undead to her aid. This ability is identical to the Summon Undead I spell. At 9th level, this ability is instead treated as a Summon Undead II spell. At 12th level, this ability is treated as Summon Undead III, and she may also use the ability twice per day. At 15th level, Summon Undead IV, and at 18th level, Summon Undead V and three times per day. All of these spells are detailed on page 215 of the Spell Compendium. Using this ability is an act of Evil.

Unholy Resilience (Ex): At 8th level, a revenant's body begins to undergo a change. She gains immunity to poison, disease (including magical diseases), and nonlethal damage.

Unholy Durability (Ex): At 11th level, a revenant's bone begins to solidify and harden. She gains immunity to stunning, fatigue, and exhaustion.

Unholy Will (Ex): At 14th level, a revenant's brain begins to die, even though her mind stays intact. She gains immunity to all mind-affecting effects, sleep effects, and paralysis.

Unholy Toughness (Ex): At 17th level, a revenant undergoes a massive internal physical change, as most of her organs shut down. She gains immunity to ability damage, ability drain, and death effects and she no longer needs to eat, breathe or sleep. She loses her Constitution score, the ability to heal damage naturally (although she can use her channel negative energy ability or spells to heal herself), and she loses the ability to regenerate, if she had it. In addition, she now uses her Charisma modifier in place of her Constitution modifier to determine her bonus hit points.

Unholy Perfection (Ex): Upon reaching 20th level, a revenant finally transcends into the realm of undeath. Her type changes to Undead and she gains Darkvision 60ft. She gains Turn Resistance equal to her Charisma modifier and Fast Healing 3. Her hit dice do not change to d12's. She no longer ages, and as such cannot die of old age. She does not automatically die when she reaches 0 hit points like normal undead, she must be reduced to -10 HP. If reduced to negative hit points, she goes unconscious but is automatically stable. If left alone, her fast healing ability will return her to consciousness in a maximum of 3 rounds. Cannot be affected by Raise Dead, Reincarnate, or Resurrection. Only a Revive Undead (SPC 175) spell or a True Resurrection spell cast by an evil cleric of a god of death can return a revenant to unlife. Her outward appearance changes little, other than a sickly paleness to her flesh, she seems like a normal specimen of her race.

Revenant Spell List:

A revenant prepares and casts spells chosen from this list, she needs to prepare spells in advance, but she automatically has access to all spells on this list.

1st-level - PHB - Bane, Cause Fear, Cure Light Wounds, Curse Water, Disrupt Undead, Doom, Hide from Undead, Inflict Light Wounds, Magic Weapon
SPC - Backbiter, Divine Sacrifice, Golden Barding, Grave Strike, Faith Healing, Spirit Worm

2nd-level - PHB - Align Weapon, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cure Moderate Wounds, Darkness, Descecrate, Gentle Repose, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Shatter, Undetectable Alignment
SPC - Blade of Pain and Fear, Death Armor, Demonhide, Hand of Divinity, Shroud of Undeath, Veil of Shadow, Zeal

3rd-level - PHB - Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Contagion, Cure Serious Wounds, Deeper Darkness, Inflict Serious Wounds, Speak with Dead
SPC - Disrupt Undead, Greater, Fangs of the Vampire King, Healing Touch, Mantle of Evil, Unholy Storm, Weapon of the Deity

4th-level - PHB - Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Divine Power, Inflict Critical Wounds, Magic Weapon, Greater, Planar Ally, Lesser (Evil creatures only), Poison
SPC - Revenance, Undead Lieutenant, Undead Torch, Visage of the Deity, Lesser, Winged Mount

Skeletal Mount:

{table=head][b]Revenant[br]Level|Bonus[br]HD|Natural[br]Armor Adj.|Turn[br]Resistance|Int|Special

5th-7th|
+2|
+4|
+2|
6|Empathic link, improved evasion, share spells, share saving throws

8th-10th|
+4|
+6|
+3|
7|Improved speed

11th-14th|
+6|
+8|
+4|
8|Undead lieutenant

15th-20th|
+8|
+10|
+5|
9|Spell resistance[/table]

Bonus HD: Extra twelve-sided (d12) Hit Dice. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Ref lex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

Natural Armor Adj.: The number on the table is in addition to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.

Turn Resistance: The mount gains a bonus to its turn resistance equal to this amount.

Int: This is the mount’s Intelligence score.

Empathic Link (Su): The revenant has an empathic link with her mount to a distance of 1 mile. The revenant cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but the two can communicate empathically. Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Because of this empathic link, the revenant has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a wizard and his familiar (see Familiars).

Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Ref lex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.

Share Spells: The revenant may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her mount (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A revenant may cast spells on her mount even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (undead).

Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the revenant’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.

Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s speed increases by 10 feet.

Undead Lieutenant (Su): A revenant's mount with this ability is treated as being under the effects of the Undead Lieutenant spell (SPC 226) with an effective duration of permanent. If the revenant casts this spell on another undead creature, this ability is surpressed for the duration of the spell.

Spell Resistance (Ex): A mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s revenant level +5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.

[Tempest Fennac]

This is quite a neat class. I think it's a bit more powerful then other Paladin variants, but that probably isn't a bad thing considering how Paladins are seen as weak by a lot of people. Also, welcome to the forums.:smallsmile:

[Beholder87]

Well its intended for use in the Pathfinder RPG (from Paizo, found here (http://paizo.com/store/paizo/pathfinder/pathfinderRPG)), and as such the Paladin class itself is very buffed. I was trying to keep in line with the power and abilities of the Pathfinder version of Paladin, and at the same time, make it's polar opposite.

And thanks for the welcome :smallamused:

[Tempest Fennac]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm not familiar with Pathfinder to be honest. (I'm sorry that I didn't see that part of the title before, assuming you didn't just edit it in now. :smalltongue:)

[Beholder87]

Nope, havn't edited the post at all... yet. There is an extra line between Unholy Toughness and Unholy Perfection thats annoying the crap outta me though :smallfurious:

[Tempest Fennac]

I'm not sure how to get rid of that, unless foing to the end of the "Unholy Toughness" description and trying to delete any spaces would help.

[Beholder87]

Yea, it was just an extra line in the text, just had to remove it.

If you prefer 3.5 over 4e, you should check out Pathfinder, a lot of people refer to it as 3.75. They tweaked and streamlined the 3.5 ruleset, and made some balance changes. Overall I feel its an improvement over 3.5, and it beats the snot out of 4e.

Pathfinder is in a free Open Beta testing phase right now, with an intended print release date of August 2009. I've already place my preorder, and so have the players in my game :smallbiggrin:

[Tempest Fennac]

I've already downloaded it thanks (it was free so I thought I may as well get it). The only problemwith it is that I don't think any half-animal races have been converted to it for player use yet (I tend to prefer that sort of race, as this old hmebrew thread suggests: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95436 ).

[Beholder87]

Anyone have any comments on the class? Is it overpowered, underpowered, or just right given the intended game? Would really like some constructive criticism, hell even flames, on the viability of the class.

[PinkysBrain]

Copy paste error in the skeletal mount ... "Extra twelve-sided (d12) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal."

I do think it's overpowered compared to the existing Pathfinder martial base classes though.

[Beholder87]

Fixed the error.

What do you think is overpowered? Could you go into detail as to what might need to be changed to bring it more in line with the power levels of Pathfinder base classes?

[PinkysBrain]

The domain powers for the unholy pact need to just go, find something more sucky ... it's a minor ability on the paladin. Getting both attack bonuses and hitpoints from Charisma in the end is too much (not that hard to flank with all them undead minions). I'd say let Unholy Blessing (Su) give a charisma bonus to touch AC. I think the sneak attack progression needs to be toned down further (5d6 at 20).

[Beholder87]

The domain powers for the unholy pact need to just go, find something more sucky ... it's a minor ability on the paladin.

The domain powers are not in addition to the mount, the player chooses to either gain the powers of ONE of the domains on that list, OR the ability to summon a skeletal mount.

The paladin's ability to enhance his weapon is pretty major, because at level 20 you get a total of +6 worth of abilities to add to your weapon. So say you normally wield a +5 Vorpal Longsword, you can spend a standard action to upgrade it to a +5 Speed Vorpal Holy Keen Longsword for 20 minutes. Usable 4 times per day.

Some of the domain spells are a bit high level, so perhaps I should treat the revenant as a cleric of half of the revenant level, so that it wont get any bonus beyond the 8th level ability in a domain (at 16th level).

The skeletal mount compared to the paladin's mount loses a con score (and thus, bonus HP) and a strength adjustment, but gains turn resistance. It gains undead traits and a d12 HD instead of a d8. The Undead Lieutenant ability is essentially the same as the mounts ability to command other creatures of its kind.


Getting both attack bonuses and hitpoints from Charisma in the end is too much (not that hard to flank with all them undead minions).

The paladin is oriented around so many defensive class features, that I wanted the revenant to be more of a run-up-and-beat-it class. The point of the revenant is to summon a couple undead to flank with, charge in, and start sneak attacking enemies. Most of the undead summoned are gonna be 1-hit-wonders, and a well placed area-of-effect spell will get rid of them all in one shot (as well as a quick turn attempt). The strongest thing you'll be able to summon is a single Mummy, which at level 18-20, would be lucky to survive a single swing from a fighter, or a single spell from a caster. They are there to provide flanking for a round, maybe two, so you can get a couple of flanking sneak attacks in.

By comparison, the paladin at 18th level can cast Heal, at least twice per day, probably 4-5 easy, as a class feature, at full caster level (meaning 150 points of healing automatically when you get it). Not to mention the uses of Lay on Hands, Remove Disease, Remove Curse, Neutralize Poison, and Break Enchantment.

At second level your flanking bonus is going to improve from a normal +2, to probably around +3 to +6 max. At level 20, your looking at around a +8 to +10 on flanking (depending on how important you feel your Charisma is). Sure, its a very nice bonus, but again its oriented around offense. The paladin would be getting a +1 to +4 to all saves at level 2 (which is a major survival bonus), and at 20th level looking at +6 to +8 to all saves (using the same charisma for both chars here), which is still nothing to scoff at for saving throws.

The Charisma-to-HP thing was necessary, because at that level you also lose you Constitution score. So a high level character just goes from having 20d10+180 (330 average, I like my characters to have around 28 Con with items at level 20) down to having 150. Losing 180 HP by going UP in level is generally a bad thing, so to level it off, you get to use your Charisma in place of your Constitution to determine bonus hit points. Nothing else, so your gonna lose on your fort saves. And you cant just min-max your character at level one to have an abysmal Con score because your going to lose it anyway, because otherwise your character will die.

Plus Unholy Toughness is the name of the ability that some undead get in MM3 (Boneclaw comes to mind) which does the exact same thing, Charisma to hit points.


I think the sneak attack progression needs to be toned down further (5d6 at 20).

The sneak attack progression replaces the normal Lay on Hands and abilities related to your LoH uses per day. +7d6 damage isnt much, when a Paladin can just Heal for 150. In a fight I think a 20th level paladin would kick a 20th level revenant's ass.

[PinkysBrain]

I'm not going to argue with you ... I think it's overpowered :p

[Beholder87]

Wasn't intending for it to sound like an argument, just trying to spur discussion :smallamused:.

I apologize if you thought I was being argumentative.