Pain Master: The Ultimate Sadist (3.5 PrC)

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Pain Master (I will put commentary in blue.)
Sometimes sadistic villains get so caught up in the pain of others it becomes an obsession, these unstable characters often follow the path of the pain master. Pain masters are a terror on the battlefield, employing both nasty melee tricks and horrible blood magic.
This is my attempt at a gish villain class focusing on de-buffing and offence.

Requirements
Spellcasting: BAB +4.
Alignment: Any evil.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd level arcane spells or 3rd level divine spells.
I don't know if the requirements are to harsh but I wanted you to have to be at least level 7 or 8 before you take the class.

Hit Dice d8
I would have given the Pain Master d6 hit dice but I wanted to emphasize the freaky "supernatural vitality" feel.

{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spellcasting
1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 |Pain Immunity, Sadism.|
2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 |Debilitating Attack 1/day.|+1 of existing spellcasting class.
3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 ||+1 of existing spellcasting class.
4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 |Debilitating Attack 2/day.|
5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 ||+1 of existing spellcasting class.
6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +5 |Debilitating Attack 3/day.|+1 of existing spellcasting class.
7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +5 ||
8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +6 |Debilitating Attack 4/day.|+1 of existing spellcasting class.
9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +6 ||+1 of existing spellcasting class.
10th | +10/+5 | +3 | +3 | +7 |Debilitating Attack 5/day.[/table]
I know some of the levels are dead, that will be fixed as soon as I think of something to fill them with.

Pain Immunity (SU)
Pain Masters are immune to all pain effects.

Sadism (SU)
When a Pain Master scores a critical hit not bringing the target below 0 hit points they gain temporary hit points equal to their pain master level x5.

Debilitating Attack (SU)
When a pain master makes an attack they can choose to use Debilitating Attack before making the attack roll. If they hit with the attack it deals extra damage equal to their Pain Master level and the target takes a -2 penalty to attacks and speed for 1d4 rounds.

For those who don't want to read the whole thing I give my PrC the following abilities:
- D8 hit dice.
- Full BAB
- High fortitude and will saves.
- Powers that revolve around scoring critical hits without killing the target.
- Pain immunity.
- Limited ability to dish out penalties with successful attack rolls.
- Limited spellcasting.

[TaintedLight]

This class screams to have the ability to cast sadism as a prereq. Maybe a SLA?

[Temotei]

Requirements
Spellcasting: BAB +4.
Alignment: Any evil.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd level arcane spells or 3rd level divine spells.

Why differ the needed level of spellcasting between arcane and divine?


Pain Immunity (SU)
Pain Masters are immune to all pain effects.

That's next to worthless, due to its extreme situational use.

This could easily be extraordinary (Ex).


Sadism (SU)
When a Pain Master scores a critical hit not bringing the target below 0 hit points they gain temporary hit points equal to their pain master level x5.

This could also be extraordinary (Ex).

This is pretty weak. Critical hits don't happen all too often, and when they do, it's likely the target will die. Why does the pain master gain temporary hit points? Do they somehow drain the blood out of them? Do they take life essence? Are they just diseased maniacs that get their kicks from this kind of stuff and get stronger after such actions?

I was expecting a special attack that acted as a torture mechanism, myself.


Debilitating Attack (SU)
When a pain master makes an attack they can choose to use Debilitating Attack before making the attack roll. If they hit with the attack it deals extra damage equal to their Pain Master level and the target takes a -2 penalty to attacks and speed for 1d4 rounds.

I have no idea what you mean by -2 to speed. I'd make the penalty rise as you rise in levels, too. A -2 penalty to attacks and a small penalty to speed isn't much to look at when you're up there in levels. Perhaps making it -2/two levels would make it better. That, or you could raise the duration and make the effect -1/two levels or something.

Overall, the class is weak and not all that interesting, though the flavor has something going for it. You just have to expand on it with interesting abilities. At any rate, I'd give a caster level boost at every level, or give it a good capstone and give it a 9/10 progression. As is, nobody will take this class for the mechanics.

Err...that was the shortest critique I've ever given.

[Milskidasith]

So... it's a class that requires divine and arcane casting only (BAB requirements low enough you can't enter before getting the requisite spells without weird multiclassing), but barely progresses one of the spellcasting classes and gets an incredibly minor bonus to attacks they probably aren't capable of landing?

This is... incredibly weak. And the requirements just seem random to me; this doesn't even seem to be a spellcasting PrC.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Why does the pain master gain temporary hit points? Do they somehow drain the blood out of them? Do they take life essence? Are they just diseased maniacs that get their kicks from this kind of stuff and get stronger after such actions?
They are just homicidal maniacs that get all warm and fuzzy inside when they inflict large amounts of pain but the fun isn't over. :smalleek: