Deathwalker (3.5 base class)

[J-H]

One of the problems with non-ToB martial classes is that they scale linearly. This is one attempt at a less-linear progression that provides a mechanic for a high-level fighter to really be a lot stronger and better than anyone else, and to have some situational abilities to stand and deliver when it counts. I'm shooting for somewhere in Tier 3 here. The actual power of the class will depend on the campaign environment, though. Deathwalkers do well when armies are clashing and battle is around every corner.

Deathwalker
Those who live by the sword, live a good long time! - Minsc of Rasheman
That which does not kill me makes me stronger. - Conan of Cimmeria

It is a fact of life on Faerun, Eberron, Sigil, and all the other planes that those who fight and win grow stronger, and that this often happens through the death of their enemies. Beyond the release of the soul, there is another sort of energy at work that enables this. Whether by study, discipline, luck, or the intervention of a deity, Deathwalkers have learned to draw on the power of the moment of death in a more direct way.

Alignment: CG, TN, CN, any Evil
Hit die: d10
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + intelligence modifier (x4 at first level)
Class Skills: Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Listen, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival
Starting Age: As fighter
Starting Gold: As fighter


Deathwalker
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+2|Attuned Weapon, Mana Reserve, Mana Use

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+0|
+3|Strength of My Enemy, Abilities

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+3|

4th|
+4|
+1|
+1|
+4|Mana Reserve Duration increase

5th|
+5|
+1|
+1|
+4|Weak Vampiric Strike

6th|
+6|
+2|
+2|
+5|

7th|
+7|
+2|
+2|
+5|Strength of My Enemy, Magic I

8th|
+8|
+2|
+2|
+6|Mana Reserve Duration increase

9th|
+9|
+3|
+3|
+6|

10th|
+10|
+3|
+3|
+7|Lesser Vampiric Strike

11th|
+11|
+3|
+3|
+7|Strength of My Enemy, Magic II

12th|
+12|
+4|
+4|
+8|Mana Reserve Duration increase

13th|
+13|
+4|
+4|
+8|Fight the End

14th|
+14|
+4|
+4|
+9|Strength of My Enemy, Magic III

15th|
+15|
+5|
+5|
+9|Greater Vampiric Strike

16th|
+16|
+5|
+5|
+10|Mana Reserve Duration increase

17th|
+17|
+5|
+5|
+10|Cheat Death

18th|
+18|
+6|
+6|
+11|

19th|
+19|
+6|
+6|
+11|Strength of my Enemy, Magic IV

20th|
+20|
+6|
+6|
+12|Vampiric Strike, Mana Reserve Duration increase[/table]

Mana reserve:
The Deathwalker draws power from opponents that he personally kills. Hereceives 1 point of mana for each point of CR rating for opponents his ECL and above. Opponents one level or more below the Deathwalker’s ECL give ½ their CR in mana, rounded up (minimum 1 point). Mana points are available for use immediately after the killing blow is landed by the Deathwalker. More powerful Deathwalkers can maintain a reserve of mana for a longer period of time, giving them the ability to walk into a battle with the energies of destruction already coursing through their bodies.

Un-used mana dissipates from the Deathwalker’s reserve as below:
Level 1: Un-used mana point total is reduced by 50% after 6 hours; remainder of un-used mana points are gone in 12 hours
Level 4: Un-used mana point total is reduced by 50% after 8 hours; remainder of un-used mana points are gone in 16 hours
Level 8: Un-used mana point total is reduced by 50% after 10 hours; remainder of un-used mana points are gone in 20 hours
Level 12: Un-used mana point total is reduced by 50% after 12 hours; remainder of un-used mana points are gone in 24 hours
Level 16: Un-used mana point total is reduced by 50% after 16 hours; remainder of un-used mana points are gone in 32 hours
Level 20: Un-used mana point total is reduced by 50% after 24 hours; remainder of un-used mana points are gone in 48 hours

“Older” mana points are assumed to be used first. To reduce bookkeeping, track the total # of mana points earned in each encounter separately, subtracting points from the oldest encounter when points are used.

Mana use:
A Deathbringer may not spend more than 2x his class levels in mp per round. This restriction does not apply to one-time mana expenditures related to feat acquisition. In all cases, MP is spent whether or not the roll it was spent on succeeds or fails.

Vim: Add temporary with a 10-round duration: 1 mp per temporary HP
Burst of Speed: Move 10’ extra in a round. 2 mp
Heal Self: The Deathwalker may use his mana to heal his body. 4 mp per HP
Unnatural Swing: Add AB to one attack. 1 mp per AB.
Fuel Damage: Add damage to melee one attack. 1 mp per 2 points of damage
Spell Resistance: As an immediate action, add Spell Resistance for 1 round. 1 mp per point of SR
Indomitable Power: As an immediate action, add a bonus to one saving throw. 3 MP per +1
Strike Now: As an immediate action, gain 1 additional Attack of Opportunity. 8 MP
Break Free: A Deathwalker may attempt to dispel a single spell effect on him (not the entire spell if area of effect, just the effect on him). 1 mp per point on dispel check

Special Abilities:
Attune Weapon: At Level 1, the Deathwalker chooses a particular masterwork (or greater) melee weapon as his weapon of choice. In a ritual requiring 12 hours of unbroken concentration, he makes the weapon an extension of his own body. This does not come without a cost, however. Attuning a weapon reduces one of the Deathwalker’s physical scores (Str, Dex, or Con, at his choice) by 2 points. This can be overcome by 1000gp of components being used up in the ritual. If the Deathwalker does not have the components available, the ritual can be repeated later to remove the penalty. If the weapon is replaced or lost, the ritual must be repeated to attune a new weapon. Due to the focus required, Deathwalker can only have one attuned weapon at a time. An attuned weapon allows the rest of the Deathwalker’s class abilities to function at full power. Wielding an un-attuned weapon reduces all mana & ability point reserves gained by ½.

Strength of My Enemy, Abilities
Beginning at level 2, the Deathwalker draws strength specifically from those he kills. For every enemy slain, tally their two highest ability modifies (str, int, etc). When the Deathwalker has accumulated enough of a particular ability point, his base statistic in that ability goes up by 1. The Deathwalker cannot gain more points in any one statistic than he has class levels.

Totals required for ability point increase: 60, 140, 240, 360, 500, 660, etc.
*this may need to be adjusted depending on the campaign, combat/rp focus, leveling speed, etc.

Strength of My Enemy, Magic
An experience Deathwalker can attempt to draw the magic from a slain spellcaster. Instead of an ability point increase, he may attempt to acquire a single spell from the caster’s prepared or available spells. He may only attempt to gain a general type of spell (for example, “a transportation spell” or “an area of effect damage spell”). If no such spell is available (as adjudicated by the DM), he instead draws a randomly rolled spell from the caster. The Deathwalker may hold no more than 1 spell in memory, and he must cast the spell within 1 hour or lose it. A Deathwalker may not discard a spell; he must cast it or wait for it to expire from memory before attempting to draw another one from a defeated enemy. SME, Magic 1, the Deathwalker can draw out spells or psionic powers of levels 1-3; at II, his spell/power cap is increased to level 6, and at III, he can draw out up to a single level 9 spell.
At level 19, the Deathwalker gains the ability to draw out a single Epic spell per day, but he must cast the spell within 10 rounds.
All spells are cast using the original caster’s CL-4, and the original caster’s DC.


Vampiric Strike:
A Deathwalker learns to draw power from his enemies even before they die.
At level 5, each successful melee attack a Deathwalker lands heals him by 1 hp
At level 10, each successful melee attack a Deathwalker lands heals him by 2 hp
At level 15, each successful melee attack a Deathwalker lands heals him by 4 hp
At level 20, each successful melee attack a Deathwalker lands heals him by the base damage of his weapon (ie 1d8, 1d12, 2d6, etc).

Fight the End:
At level 13, a Deathwalker gains +4 to saves against death effects and poison.
Cheat Death: At level 17, a Deathwalker can expend 100 points from his mana reserve (ignoring the 2x level cap) to reduce his physical age by 1 year, removing any age-related ability penalties or delaying their onset. Mental ability bonuses from age are not affected. This ability cannot be used more than once per week.

Adventures: Without strife and death, a Deathwalker does not grow stronger. Deathwalkers are often drawn to conflict, both to help causes they believe in or to serve as mercenaries. Even good-aligned kingdoms can benefit from a Deathwalker’s presence in repelling an invasion or permanently solving a bandit problem. In times of peace, a few Deathwalkers have been known to serve as executioners… although ignoble, it’s a way to serve and bring death.

Deathwalkers typically do not advertise the nature of their abilities, but they do seek out powerful opponents to defeat. As a result, a Deathwalker will often be visible in battle as a towering armored figure advancing into the enemy lines with a trail of broken bodies behind him.

In society: Deathwalkers are often intimidating, and most peaceful good-aligned societies are not comfortable having them around for long. Death and the departure of the soul is normally the province of the religious orders; clerics of some deities and most orders of paladins view the path of the Deathwalker as sacreligious. Bandits and enemy soldiers mostly just view them as dangerous and scary.

[J-H]

Feats

Constant Reserve:
The Deathwalker may maintain a pool of up to 20 points of mana that does not expire until a month has passed. This feat may be taken multiple times and stacks with itself.

Powerful Build:
Prerequisite: Deathwalker 6
A Deathwalker may use some of the mana he has stored up into permanently altering his body. A Deathwalker who takes this feat may channel 40 points of mana to permanently grant himself the Powerful Build feat, gaining 6" in height, and proportionately in width and weight. This feat may only be taken once.

Possible changes:
-Reduce requirements for ability point increases
-Alter so that the Deathwalker gets credit for the top 2 ability scores of enemies slain
-Need to come up with an expected "ability points per level" figure so that it's more feasible to start a Deathwalker as a level 5+ character without putting it behind the curve.
-Cleave and Great Cleave as bonus feats might fit in well.
-Add some type of "Deathblow" ability at mid-levels that does significantly greater damage and/or has a better crit range. Otherwise, kill-stealing could be an issue both for effectiveness and for controversy within the party.

[RoyVG]

I like the fact that this class can become stronger by slaying creatures and 'taking their strength'. I would decrease the amount of kills needed because hardly anyone would ever get 1 actual ability point in it before dying. Maybe only have it work on creatures who are at least the same level (or ECL) as you are? (to avoid any 'slay village, acquire strength' moments).

Cheat death can be 'abused' with an infinite mental ability scores loop if the campaign actually takes years.
=> One day before middle age become lvl 17
=> day later become middle age, recieve age bonuses and penalties
=> Cheat Death, no more physical penalties
=> rinse and repeat every year.
Generally campaigns don't last years in-game, so I guess it is ok.

Is the limit of 2x level maximum per round on Mana Use still valid on Cheat Death. If yes, the class feature is useless before level 50. And even then it would be generally not needed anymore.

[J-H]

I like the fact that this class can become stronger by slaying creatures and 'taking their strength'. I would decrease the amount of kills needed because hardly anyone would ever get 1 actual ability point in it before dying.
It depends on how many encounters you're in between levels... I don't have a good way to judge that. At level 2-3, 20 black bears will net you +1 to STR by themselves (STR 19)... 40 wolves will get you +1 to DEX or CON. If most of the XP is coming from combat rather than from quest completion I think it might work out reasonably well, if the Deathwalker can keep his share of kills up.


Maybe only have it work on creatures who are at least the same level (or ECL) as you are? (to avoid any 'slay village, acquire strength' moments).
Peasants are probably level 1 commoners with a basic stat array. If stats are randomly distributed, maybe 30% of them have 12 STR. A Deathwalker would need to personally kill upwards of 240 peasants to gain +1 to strength... If someone does that they will have an entire kingdom's military chasing them down just as fast as a dragon that was destroying villages would.
When Cheat Death becomes an option, an Evil Deathwalker could wipe out a village of 400 singlehandedly to reduce his age by a year. At that point, you're either running an evil campaign or he's the new BBEG.


Cheat death can be 'abused' with an infinite mental ability scores loop if the campaign actually takes years.
=> One day before middle age become lvl 17
=> day later become middle age, recieve age bonuses and penalties
=> Cheat Death, no more physical penalties
=> rinse and repeat every year.
Generally campaigns don't last years in-game, so I guess it is ok.
His physical age gets reduced by 1 year - his mental age is the same - so mentally he's still middle aged and doesn't get the mental bonuses again until he goes from middle aged to old.


Is the limit of 2x level maximum per round on Mana Use still valid on Cheat Death. If yes, the class feature is useless before level 50. And even then it would be generally not needed anymore.
Whoops, I'll correct that.

[RoyVG]

It depends on how many encounters you're in between levels... I don't have a good way to judge that. At level 2-3, 20 black bears will net you +1 to STR by themselves (STR 19)... 40 wolves will get you +1 to DEX or CON. If most of the XP is coming from combat rather than from quest completion I think it might work out reasonably well, if the Deathwalker can keep his share of kills up.

True. Pretty much all the Exp I get in my campaigns are from combat, with a small bit of roleplay Exp. However for some reason our encounters always last 2 centuries (I admit, sometimes my fault). We usually have increased Exp gains because of this.

In recent campaigns we usually abandoned EXP and were just 'granted' a level at certain points, usually after a 2-4 sessions, depending on the encounters, so it would need some adaptations in those type of campaigns, but that is up to the DM of course. Maybe add a small note to it, saying they are just 'guidelines' for 'regular' campaigns.


Peasants are probably level 1 commoners with a basic stat array. If stats are randomly distributed, maybe 30% of them have 12 STR. A Deathwalker would need to personally kill upwards of 240 peasants to gain +1 to strength... If someone does that they will have an entire kingdom's military chasing them down just as fast as a dragon that was destroying villages would.
When Cheat Death becomes an option, an Evil Deathwalker could wipe out a village of 400 singlehandedly to reduce his age by a year. At that point, you're either running an evil campaign or he's the new BBEG.

With great power, comes great responsability :smallbiggrin:.


His physical age gets reduced by 1 year - his mental age is the same - so mentally he's still middle aged and doesn't get the mental bonuses again until he goes from middle aged to old.

*Brain fart* Now it suddenly makes a lot more sense :smalltongue:. Still some will likely read it the way I did in the previous post. But again, that is up to the DM if he would 'allow' it.