Akutare
2015-05-19, 01:17 PM
While I was homebrewing a custom campaign for myself and a few friends, I figured I'd convert and upgrade the blackguard into a force of genuine terror. I haven't gotten around to writing up the blackguard's spell list, but chances are it wouldn't raise too many eyebrows. Without further adieu, here's my homebrewed blackguard prc.
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Class Name: Blackguard
Hit Die: d10
BAB: High
Fort Save: High
Ref Save: Low
Will Save: Low
Requirements
To qualify to become a blackguard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment
Any evil.
Base Attack Bonus
+6
Skills
Stealth 5 ranks, Knowledge(religion) 2 ranks.
Special
The character must have made peaceful contact with an evil outsider who was summoned by him or someone else, or this character must have been chosen as a champion by a neutral or evil deity.
Class Skills
The Blackguard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge(Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex)
Skill Ranks per Level
4+ Int modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Blackguards are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields.
Aura of Evil (Ex)
The power of a blackguard’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his blackguard level. A paladin who uses smite evil on an blackguard deals 2 points of damage per paladin level on his first successful attack.
Detect Good (Sp)
At will, a blackguard can use detect good as the spell. A blackguard can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the blackguard does not detect good in any other object or individual within range.
Poison Use
Blackguards are skilled in the use of poison and never ris accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.
Dark Blessing (Su)
Beginning at second level, a blackguard applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.
Channel Negative Energy (Su)
When a blackguard reaches 2nd level, he gains the supernatural ability to channel negative energy like a cleric. Using this ability consumes two uses of his touch of corruption ability. A blackguard uses his level as his effective cleric level when channeling negative energy. This is a Charisma-based ability.
Smite Good (Su)
Once per day, a blackguard can call out to the dark powers to crush the forces of good. As a swift action, the blackguard chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the blackguard adds his Charisma bonus (if any) on his attack rolls and adds his blackguard level on all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the blackguard possesses. Regardless of the target, smite good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite good is in effect, the blackguard gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the blackguard targets a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the blackguard rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 2nd level, and at every two levels thereafter, the blackguard may smite good one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Blackguard, to a maximum of five times per day at 10th level.
Touch of Corruption (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a blackguard surrounds his hand with a fiendish flame, causing terrible wounds to open on those he touches. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 his blackguard level + his Charisma modifier. As a touch attack, a blackguard can cause 1d6 points of damage for every two blackguard levels he possesses. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Alternatively, a blackguard can use this power to heal undead creatures, restoring 1d6 hit points for every two levels the blackguard possesses. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat grants a blackguard 2 additional uses of the touch of corruption class feature.
Aura of Despair (Su)
At 3rd level, enemies within 10 feet of a blackguard take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This penalty does not stack with the penalty from aura of cowardice.
This ability functions only while the blackguard is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.
Command Undead (Su)
At 3rd level, as a standard action, you can use one of your uses of channel negative energy to enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their saves fall under your control, obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command. You can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your cleric level. If you use channel energy in this way, it has no other effect (it does not heal or harm nearby creatures). If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict. A blackguard commands undead as would a cleric of two levels lower.
Sneak Attack
This ability, gained at 4th level, is like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 every third level beyond 4th (7th and 10th). If a blackguard gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.
Unholy Boon (Sp)
Upon reaching 5th level, a blackguard receives a boon from his dark patrons. This boon can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed.
The first type of bond allows the blackguard to enhance his weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of a fiendish spirit for 2 minutes per blackguard level. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to shed unholy light as a torch. At 5th level, this spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every level beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at your tenth blackguard level.
Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s cost (sorted and listed below).
These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties
+1: flaming, keen, vicious
+2: anarchic, axiomatic, flaming burst, unholy, wounding
+3: speed
+5: vorpal
These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The fiendish spirit imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the blackguard but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the antipaladin. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. An antipaladin can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.
If a weapon bonded with a fiendish spirit is destroyed, the antipaladin loses the use of this ability for 30 days, or until he gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the blackguard takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
The second type of bond allows a blackguard to gain the service of a fiendish servant. This functions as summon monster IV, except the duration is permanent and the blackguard can only gain the service of a single creature and that creature must either have the evil subtype or it must be a fiendish animal. Once selected, the choice is set, but it may be changed whenever the blackguard gains a level. Upon reaching 6th level, and every level thereafter, the level of the summon monster spell increases by one, to a maximum of summon monster IX at your 10th blackguard level. Once per day, as a full-round action, a blackguard may magically call his servant to his side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the blackguard's character level. The servant immediately appears adjacent to the blackguard. An blackguard can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every level thereafter, for a total of six times per day at 10th level.
At 6th level, the servant gains the advanced template. At 9th level, a blackguard's servant gains spell resistance equal to the blackguard's character level + 11.
Should the blackguard's fiendish servant die or be banished, the blackguard may not summon another servant for 30 days or until he gains another blackguard or antipaladin level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the blackguard takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Aura of Corruption (Su)
At 5th level, a blackguard can xpend two uses of his smite good ability to grant the ability to smite good to all allies within 10 feet, using his bonuses. Allies must use this smite good ability by the start of the blackguard's next turn and the bonuses last for 1 minute. Using this ability is a free action. Good creatures gain no benefit from this ability.
Aura of Malice (Su)
At 7th level, a blackguard's weapons are treated as evil-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Any attack made against an enemy within 10 feet of him is treated as evil-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This ability functions only while the blackguard is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.
Aura of Revulsion (Su)
At 9th level, a blackguard gains DR 5/good. Each enemy within 10 feet takes a –4 penalty on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability functions only while the blackguard is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.
Unholy Terror (Su)
Beginning at 10th level, you become one with the concept and power of evil. You gain the Half-fiend template (even if you would not normally be eligible) with no level adjustment or challenge rating modification. Further, you can never willingly or unwillingly change your alignment from evil. Effects that would alter your alignment away from evil fail to do so, even when caused by deity- or artifact-level effects. Such effects may still alter your alignment on the lawful to chaotic axis. The blackguard's DR increases to 10/good. Whenever he uses smite good and successfully strikes an good outsider, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, using his character level as the caster level (his weapon and unholy symbol automatically count as objects that the subject hates). After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends. Finally, whenever he channels negative energy or uses touch of corruption to damage a creature, he deals the maximum possible amount.
Fallen Paladins
Blackguards who have levels in the paladin class (that is to say, are now ex-paladins) gain extra abilities the more levels of paladin they have.
A fallen paladin who becomes a blackguard gains all of the following abilities that apply, according to the number of paladin levels the character has.
1-2
Smite Good 1/day. (This is in addition to the ability granted to all blackguards at 2nd level.)
3-4
Lay on Hands. The blackguard gains the ability to use Lay on Hands as a paladin would of equivalent character level.
5-6
Sneak Attack damage increased by +1d6. Smite Good 2/day.
7-8
Fiendish Summoning. The blackguard may use summon monster VI as a spell-like ability, allowing him to summon 1d3 bearded devils, or 1 erinyes.
At 8th level, this spell-like ability is replaced by summon monster VII, allowing him to summon 1d4+1 bearded devils, 1d3 erinyes, or 1 bone devil.
9-10
Undead Companion. In addition to the fiendish servant, the blackguard gains (at 5th level) a Medium-size skeleton or zombie as a companion. This companion cannot be turned or rebuked and gains all special bonuses as a fiendish servant when the blackguard gains levels. Smite Good 3/day.
11+
A fallen paladin of this stature immediately gains a blackguard level for each level of paladin he trades in.
The character level of the character does not change. With the loss of paladin levels, the character no longer gains as many extra abilities for being a fallen paladin.
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Class Name: Blackguard
Hit Die: d10
BAB: High
Fort Save: High
Ref Save: Low
Will Save: Low
Requirements
To qualify to become a blackguard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment
Any evil.
Base Attack Bonus
+6
Skills
Stealth 5 ranks, Knowledge(religion) 2 ranks.
Special
The character must have made peaceful contact with an evil outsider who was summoned by him or someone else, or this character must have been chosen as a champion by a neutral or evil deity.
Class Skills
The Blackguard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge(Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex)
Skill Ranks per Level
4+ Int modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Blackguards are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields.
Aura of Evil (Ex)
The power of a blackguard’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his blackguard level. A paladin who uses smite evil on an blackguard deals 2 points of damage per paladin level on his first successful attack.
Detect Good (Sp)
At will, a blackguard can use detect good as the spell. A blackguard can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the blackguard does not detect good in any other object or individual within range.
Poison Use
Blackguards are skilled in the use of poison and never ris accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.
Dark Blessing (Su)
Beginning at second level, a blackguard applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.
Channel Negative Energy (Su)
When a blackguard reaches 2nd level, he gains the supernatural ability to channel negative energy like a cleric. Using this ability consumes two uses of his touch of corruption ability. A blackguard uses his level as his effective cleric level when channeling negative energy. This is a Charisma-based ability.
Smite Good (Su)
Once per day, a blackguard can call out to the dark powers to crush the forces of good. As a swift action, the blackguard chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the blackguard adds his Charisma bonus (if any) on his attack rolls and adds his blackguard level on all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the blackguard possesses. Regardless of the target, smite good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite good is in effect, the blackguard gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the blackguard targets a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the blackguard rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 2nd level, and at every two levels thereafter, the blackguard may smite good one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: Blackguard, to a maximum of five times per day at 10th level.
Touch of Corruption (Su)
Beginning at 2nd level, a blackguard surrounds his hand with a fiendish flame, causing terrible wounds to open on those he touches. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 his blackguard level + his Charisma modifier. As a touch attack, a blackguard can cause 1d6 points of damage for every two blackguard levels he possesses. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Alternatively, a blackguard can use this power to heal undead creatures, restoring 1d6 hit points for every two levels the blackguard possesses. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat grants a blackguard 2 additional uses of the touch of corruption class feature.
Aura of Despair (Su)
At 3rd level, enemies within 10 feet of a blackguard take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This penalty does not stack with the penalty from aura of cowardice.
This ability functions only while the blackguard is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.
Command Undead (Su)
At 3rd level, as a standard action, you can use one of your uses of channel negative energy to enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their saves fall under your control, obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command. You can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your cleric level. If you use channel energy in this way, it has no other effect (it does not heal or harm nearby creatures). If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict. A blackguard commands undead as would a cleric of two levels lower.
Sneak Attack
This ability, gained at 4th level, is like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 every third level beyond 4th (7th and 10th). If a blackguard gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.
Unholy Boon (Sp)
Upon reaching 5th level, a blackguard receives a boon from his dark patrons. This boon can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed.
The first type of bond allows the blackguard to enhance his weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of a fiendish spirit for 2 minutes per blackguard level. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to shed unholy light as a torch. At 5th level, this spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every level beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at your tenth blackguard level.
Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s cost (sorted and listed below).
These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties
+1: flaming, keen, vicious
+2: anarchic, axiomatic, flaming burst, unholy, wounding
+3: speed
+5: vorpal
These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The fiendish spirit imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the blackguard but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the antipaladin. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. An antipaladin can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.
If a weapon bonded with a fiendish spirit is destroyed, the antipaladin loses the use of this ability for 30 days, or until he gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the blackguard takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
The second type of bond allows a blackguard to gain the service of a fiendish servant. This functions as summon monster IV, except the duration is permanent and the blackguard can only gain the service of a single creature and that creature must either have the evil subtype or it must be a fiendish animal. Once selected, the choice is set, but it may be changed whenever the blackguard gains a level. Upon reaching 6th level, and every level thereafter, the level of the summon monster spell increases by one, to a maximum of summon monster IX at your 10th blackguard level. Once per day, as a full-round action, a blackguard may magically call his servant to his side. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the blackguard's character level. The servant immediately appears adjacent to the blackguard. An blackguard can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every level thereafter, for a total of six times per day at 10th level.
At 6th level, the servant gains the advanced template. At 9th level, a blackguard's servant gains spell resistance equal to the blackguard's character level + 11.
Should the blackguard's fiendish servant die or be banished, the blackguard may not summon another servant for 30 days or until he gains another blackguard or antipaladin level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, the blackguard takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Aura of Corruption (Su)
At 5th level, a blackguard can xpend two uses of his smite good ability to grant the ability to smite good to all allies within 10 feet, using his bonuses. Allies must use this smite good ability by the start of the blackguard's next turn and the bonuses last for 1 minute. Using this ability is a free action. Good creatures gain no benefit from this ability.
Aura of Malice (Su)
At 7th level, a blackguard's weapons are treated as evil-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Any attack made against an enemy within 10 feet of him is treated as evil-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This ability functions only while the blackguard is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.
Aura of Revulsion (Su)
At 9th level, a blackguard gains DR 5/good. Each enemy within 10 feet takes a –4 penalty on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability functions only while the blackguard is conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.
Unholy Terror (Su)
Beginning at 10th level, you become one with the concept and power of evil. You gain the Half-fiend template (even if you would not normally be eligible) with no level adjustment or challenge rating modification. Further, you can never willingly or unwillingly change your alignment from evil. Effects that would alter your alignment away from evil fail to do so, even when caused by deity- or artifact-level effects. Such effects may still alter your alignment on the lawful to chaotic axis. The blackguard's DR increases to 10/good. Whenever he uses smite good and successfully strikes an good outsider, the outsider is also subject to a banishment, using his character level as the caster level (his weapon and unholy symbol automatically count as objects that the subject hates). After the banishment effect and the damage from the attack is resolved, the smite immediately ends. Finally, whenever he channels negative energy or uses touch of corruption to damage a creature, he deals the maximum possible amount.
Fallen Paladins
Blackguards who have levels in the paladin class (that is to say, are now ex-paladins) gain extra abilities the more levels of paladin they have.
A fallen paladin who becomes a blackguard gains all of the following abilities that apply, according to the number of paladin levels the character has.
1-2
Smite Good 1/day. (This is in addition to the ability granted to all blackguards at 2nd level.)
3-4
Lay on Hands. The blackguard gains the ability to use Lay on Hands as a paladin would of equivalent character level.
5-6
Sneak Attack damage increased by +1d6. Smite Good 2/day.
7-8
Fiendish Summoning. The blackguard may use summon monster VI as a spell-like ability, allowing him to summon 1d3 bearded devils, or 1 erinyes.
At 8th level, this spell-like ability is replaced by summon monster VII, allowing him to summon 1d4+1 bearded devils, 1d3 erinyes, or 1 bone devil.
9-10
Undead Companion. In addition to the fiendish servant, the blackguard gains (at 5th level) a Medium-size skeleton or zombie as a companion. This companion cannot be turned or rebuked and gains all special bonuses as a fiendish servant when the blackguard gains levels. Smite Good 3/day.
11+
A fallen paladin of this stature immediately gains a blackguard level for each level of paladin he trades in.
The character level of the character does not change. With the loss of paladin levels, the character no longer gains as many extra abilities for being a fallen paladin.