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TBPBenni
2006-08-03, 05:35 PM
This is a conversion of the Nexus War class of the same name. From Nexuswiki, the description of the Pariah is as follows.

Pariahs are demonkind. They are individuals who have chosen the path of Evil and it has damned their souls for all eternity. Pariahs are the grunt soldiers of hell: their abilities center around harming others as efficiently as possible.

Pariahs are an Evil-aligned character class. They believe in self-reliance, individualism, and selfishness. Choosing this class means that the character will forever be locked into the path of Evil.

Please feel free to critique or criticize.

Requirements:
Power Attack, Cleave, BAB 6+, Special (must kill 100 nonevil humanoids in one 24 hour period)

Base Attack Progression: Full
Hit Die: D10
Skill Points per level 2+Int modifier
Class skills: Jump, Climb, Intimidate, Bluff, Knowledge(religion), Knowledge(the planes), Listen, Spot, Swim.
Base Saves: Fortitude High, Reflex and Will Low

1: Blood Claws (1d6), Descension, Scarred
2: Weaken(su)
3: Blood Claws (2d6)
4: Light Sensitivity, Darkvision 60
5: Blood Claws (3d6)
6: Blood Taste(su)
7: Blood Claws (4d6)
8: Lesser Regeneration(su)
9: Blood Claws (5d6)
10: Explosive Murder

Blood Claws - As they revel laughing in the blood of their murdered victims, a pariah's hands twist painfully into hardened, fire-blackened claws. A pariah's blood claws are natural weapons, increasing in damage at every odd level. (Unlike a monk's unarmed attack, blood claws cannot be enchanted, although they are treated as both evil and magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.)

Descension - With the deaths that initiate them into demonhood, the pariah's body and soul begin to twist and warp from exposure to wickedness itself. Forever after taking their first level, the pariah's subtype changes to Outsider (Augmented, Evil). Pariahs are always considered to be evilly aligned creatures, and they lose the benefits of all their class abilities should their alignment change away from this.

Scarred - Evil takes its toll on anybody who would wield its power. The pariah's skin turns a charred black color and begins to crack, as if exposed to extremely hot fire. This confers a -8 penalty on Disguise checks, as well as a -4 to Diplomacy and Gather Information.

Weaken (su) - At second level the pariah learns to cause intense weakness in his foes. As a standard action, he may target any enemy within 30 feet and cause the "sickened" status for one minute per level (Fortitude save DC 10+Pariah Level+Wis modifier to negate)

Light Sensitivity - As Monster Manual ability

Darkvision 60' - As Monster Manual ability

Blood Taste (su) - At sixth level whenever a pariah makes a critical hit with his blood claws, he may heal hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Lesser Regeneration - At eighth level the pariah gains Fast Healing 1.

Explosive Murder - At tenth level the pariah gains the ability to explode into a murderous blaze of hellfire and hatred as a full round action. This attack deals 1d6 damage per hit die of the pariah, in a 60 foot radius (reflex save 15+charisma modifier for half damage), at the cost of his own life. This burst is considered both evil and fire damage. 1d4 hours after this ability is used, the pariah reconstitutes at half his original hit points in a random location within one mile of the place he died. A pariah who has reconstituted cannot use Explosive Murder for another 1d4 hours after reconstitution.

Catch
2006-08-03, 05:41 PM
The claw damage progression is way off. Start at a d4, then d6, d8, 2d6, then cap it at 2d8. No natural weapon should deal 5d6 base damage, unless you happen to be a dragon.

Other than that, it doesn't have any glaring problems that I can see.

bingo_bob
2006-08-03, 05:50 PM
Man, these guys would be IMPOSSIBLE to kill.

Fighter: There he's down to 50 HP!
BLAM!!!
Fighter: $&#@!!!!

Draco_Ignifer
2006-08-03, 05:52 PM
Explosive Murder's way too strong of an ability. 150' radius is obscene, it deals a minimum of 15d8 with no elemental resistance able to completely diffuse it, AND you get to come back from the dead. It MIGHT be balanced if you require a Resurrection or True Resurrection to return from it. Remember, in Nexus War, you can always come back to life, not just if you use Explosive Murder.

chaiyo
2006-08-03, 08:03 PM
Yeah, if you are intent on keeping Explosive Murder with that much damage and revival, either increase the wait to 1d10 days (like a lich) or maybe make them into gaseous form (Like a vampire).

Also, if this is an evil PrC, Evil should be a requirement instead of in the flavor.

EDIT: This should be moved to Homebrew any time soon.

Draco_Ignifer
2006-08-03, 08:58 PM
...Special (must kill 100 nonevil humanoids in one 24 hour period)...
Somehow, I don't think evil is just in the class flavor.

Eswyther
2006-08-03, 10:20 PM
Insanely screwed up but awesome.

Can''t see anything else wrong ^agree with all those guys

chaiyo
2006-08-04, 11:36 AM
Somehow, I don't think evil is just in the class flavor.


:o What? You read the italicized flavor text, right? You read that the blood claws are treated as evil weapons? You read that the Pariah gets the Scarred ability because evil takes its toll on the user?

Also, if you use the Augmented type/subtype method, it should be Outsider (Augmented-[original type], Evil).

NullAshton
2006-08-04, 11:47 AM
I'm imagining a demonic looking guy with lava like skin, glowing pupilless eyes, long clawlike dark red fingernails, and a deep demonic voice saying, "YOU SHALL ALL DIE!"

Yeah, you should remove the explosive murder ability. Doesn't fit with the theme. Maybe make it so that when they die, they can take over someones body with a (low) will save DC, and over the course of 1d10 days slowly transform that persons body into their evil demonic self. Though, if he is killed with a holy and silver or holy and cold iron weapon, he is dead permanently.

Hario
2006-08-04, 12:16 PM
damn... and I thought suicide bombers did damage... honestly if you wanted to win a war send a couple of these to your 'friends' and have them constantly re-exploding themselves in the cities... :/

chaiyo
2006-08-04, 12:28 PM
Y'know what? Never mind that lich or vampire effects I thought of. Explosive Murder really should cause the Pariah to die. Permanently until ressurection or a better spell.

Poison_Fish
2006-08-04, 02:28 PM
*sniff* where is hellfire and corrode claw?

*Has been playing a Pariah on NexusWar*

TBPBenni
2006-08-06, 09:32 PM
Thanks for your feedback.

Descension has been fixed, and follows standard procedure for outsider augmentation. This means that darkvision is achieved at first level. I am considering removing light sensitivity due to no other demons having it -- another future demonic class will however receive this drawback.

The claws are so high in base damage because that's the main feature of the class. Pariahs tear people up and laugh about it, it's simply what they do. The blood claws progress quickly in damage, and compared to monk this looks godawful broken.

However, being compared to similar abilities that expand the damage of one weapon, such as the Ancestral Weapon feat or the kensai's favored weapon ability, like the monk's unarmed attack the blood claws are actually rather subpar. A kensai eventually gains the ability to wield a +10 equivalent weapon, whereas the pariah is stuck with a +4 shortsword equivalent that has its abilities preset (treating each d6 as a +1 nonelemental burst). Granted, the Blood Taste ability is easily worth +2, possibly +3, but that still leaves us a bit short compared to a +5 greatsword with 4 bursts and Vicious on it.

Explosive Murder is the second defining ability of the pariah. As strange as it sounds, this ability has a heavy influence on flavor. Its practical effect of EM backup is that pariahs have zero fear of death. It doesn't matter that they'll be at 1 hit point, because they can explode as a last ditch effort to spite their foes. It is for this reason that EM will not be made permanent. While the idea of reincarnation is an idea unique to Nexus War, I do not want to have pariahs rely on clerics to glue them back together. In a party without an evil-aligned cleric, EM is worthless. I would rather not force a player not work his way into level ten just to get an ability that will let him kill himself permanently as a full round action, when a backpackful of alchemist's fire will do just fine.

I will, however, concede that it is far too powerful as written. The reconstitution effect is poorly worded, and should be revised to put a pariah at 50% of his previous hit points. Its damage is being reduced to d6s and the range is also being reduced from 150 feet to 60. It is now a full round action and a cooldown time of 1d4 hours is being added. It's ironic that

I was going to treat Corrode Claw as a feat, and get around to it when I did. I'm not entirely sure how Hellfire is going to work out, although the feat angle is looking pretty good. =)

Thank you for the feedback, the original is being edited in bold to reflect changes being made.

Fizban
2006-08-08, 04:00 AM
As twisted as it is, I like it. It would be especially good for the "absolute evil just changed it's mind, now it's fighting for good, and you're screwed", which is why I would keep the alignment requirement out of it. Of course, I take issue with most alignment requirements on general principal.
Anyway, I agree that the claws are just too powerful. Your example of the ancestral weapon feat and Kensai ability are wrong, as those abilities require you to sacrifice goods/xp (read: pay) for that power. However, I understand that they are supposed to be that good. I would say: for starters, specify that they get 2 claw attacks, bump them up to 3rd level ability (so that they max out at 4d6), and remember about the rapidstrike feats in the Draconomicon (allowing you to get extra attacks with natural weaons).
And there's my 200cp