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mabriss lethe
2008-02-03, 06:26 PM
I've had this idea rattling around in my head for a while. I just needed to put it out on paper. I decided to make a it Blackguard variant. I'm not 100% satisfied with the result, more like about 70%. There are a few items I think could have been better executed on my part. Tell me what you think.


The Curse Seeker:

"I'll be taking that amulet from you, son. That thing is just too dangerous to be out in the world. Now you can hand it over nicely, or we can play rough. Either way, it's leaving with me." -Anton Veroga, Human Curse Seeker.

Some unlucky folks stumble upon tainted magics that refuse to give up their hold on them. Not all of these people manage to get help from friendly priests or wizards. Some of these poor souls, desperate for any respite, embrace the magic that haunts them. The lucky ones manage to find a teacher to help tame that power and make it their own. They become Curse Seekers. Curse seekers are all members of a secretive order, The Keepers of the Curse.

The Keepers of the Curse are an ancient organization. The members, one and all, live under the burden of an array of curses. It doesn't hinder them much. In fact, they see it as a blessing in disguise. By embracing the magic of the curse, they learn to use it as a conduit to channel power, both steeping themselves in arcane forces and shielding themselves from further exposure to dark and dangerous magic. It gives them a purpose though. The Keepers send out their curse seekers into the world to find and dispose of dangerous magical items. If the items can't be destroyed, the seekers return to one of the Order's chapterhouses for safe storage and study. Interested parties can contact the order, who, for a small fee, will dispose of dangerous magical objects.

The average curse seeker is a lean and hungry looking fellow. Something dark burns behind his eyes, an obsession you that would give you nightmares to know its name. Their pasts tend to make the less social than most, but the strength of will and singleminded determination they embody is staggering to behold.


Curse Seeker
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |1st|2nd|3rd|4th

1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Aura of the Accursed, Detect Magic, Way of the Curse Seeker|0|—|—|—

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Blessing in Disguise, Evil Eye 1/day|1|—|—|—

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1| Aura of Despair, Familiar|1|0|—|—

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Strength of the Damned|1|1|—|—

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Improved Familiar, Evil Eye 2/day|1|1|0|—

6th|+6|+5|+2|+2||1|1|1|—

7th|+7|+5|+2|+2|Arcane Sight|2|1|1|0

8th|+8|+6|+2|+2||2|1|1|1

9th|+9|+6|+3|+3||2|2|1|1

10th|+10|+7|+3|+3| Evil Eye 3/day|2|2|2|1

[/table]
Alignment: Any non-good
Hit Die: 1d10

Class Skills:
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis),and Ride (Dex), Spellcraft(Int), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Requirements
To qualify to become a curse seeker, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Any Non-good
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Use Magic Device 5 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 2 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will

Special: The Character must have in his possession and be under the influence of a cursed item that requires a spell to remove it and/or its effects from him ( example: -2 longsword) Alternately, the Character must be under some curse via Bestow Curse or a similar effect.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the curse seeker prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Curse seekers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields.

Aura of the Accursed (Ex): The power of a Curse Seeker's aura of magic (see the detect magic spell) is equal to a magical object with a caster level of his class level. This magical aura is seen as both a necromantic and enchantment effect.

Detect Magic (Sp): At will, a Curse Seeker can use detect magic as a spell-like ability, duplicating the effect of the detect magic spell.

Way of the Curse Seeker(Su): Curse Seekers have an innate connection with a single cursed object. As long as they carry that object and are under its curse, they are immune to the negative effects of other cursed objects they might carry. Curse Seekers who entered this class via Bestow Curse don't need to carry an object for this or any other curse seeker ability.

Also, once per day, the curse seeker may make a UMD check at a DC of 10 for suppress his curse for 24 hours. Every day in a row the curse seeker successfully suppresses it, The DC increases by 5 for the following day. Supressing a curse in this fashion doesn't interfere with any of the Curse Seeker's abilities.

Blessing in Disguise (Su): At 2nd level, a Curse Seeker applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws. This bonus is doubled for any saving throw the character might make to prevent the removal of the curse that gives them their powers.

Spells: A Curse Seeker has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a curse seeker spell, a curse seeker must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so a curse seeker with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. curse seeker bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the curse seeker's Wisdom modifier. When the curse seeker gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance, 1st-level spells for a 1st-level curse seeker), he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level. The curse seeker's spell list appears below. A curse seeker has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare, just as a cleric. A curse seeker prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though a curse seeker cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells). The curse seeker must use his cursed item, if he needs one, in place of a divine focus if a curse seeker spell calls for it.

Evil Eye (Su): Once per day as a free action, the Curse seeker of 2nd level or higher can draw upon the power of his curse to give the Evil Eye. For a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round), treat the Curse seeker as having a Gaze Attack with a DC of 10+ curse seeker class level+ Charisma Modifer. Targets must succeed on a will save or be cursed. Anyone cursed by the evil eye treats melee attacks from the Curse seeker as smites, (similar to the paladin's smite evil ability)
a Curse Seeker adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. For example, a 9th-level curse seeker armed with a longsword would deal 1d8+9 points of damage, plus any additional bonuses from high Strength or magical effects that normally apply. The smite attempt must be made with the curse seeker's cursed object, if it is a weapon. Regardless, the cursed item must be in the curse seeker's possession in order for him to use the Evil Eye power. The curse of the evil eye fades from a target after 1 hour.

At 5th level, and again at 10th level, a curse seeker may use the Evil Eye one additional time per day.

Aura of Despair (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the Curse seeker radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to suffer a -2 penalty on all saving throws.

Familiar: At 3rd level, the curse seeker can acquire a familiar. Treat the familiar as if the curse seeker were a sorcerer of two levels lower than his curse seeker level. These levels stack with class levels to determine a familiar's abilities. he gains the Improved Familiar feat at 5th level, and may choose chaotic or evil aligned improved familiars regardless of his alignment.

Strength of the Damned: This ability, gained at 4th level, gives the Curse seeker Spell Resistance equal to 15 + his curse seeker level.

Arcane Sight At will, a Curse Seeker of 7th level can use arcane sight as a spell-like ability, duplicating the effect of the arcane sight spell. this ability replaces the 1st level Detect Magic Ability

Curse Seeker Spell List
Curse Seekers choose their spells from the Hexblade and Blackguard Spell lists:

Special Curse seekers who become freed from their curse lose all class abilities and spellcasting, excepting his familiar* (for simple book keeping reasons) If the curse seeker is ever reunited with his cursed object or finds another way to replace it, he regains his class abilities.

A character that doesn't wish to return to the Curse seeker class after losing a cursed object, may trade in his levels for either Blackguard or Assassin (not both) as long as he meet's that Prestige Class's requirements. If he doesn't meet those requirements or doesn't want to take levels in either PrC, the former curse seeker may instead replace these levels with levels of the Hexblade class. Characters who opt out of the class in this fashion may never take levels in Curse seeker again.

mabriss lethe
2008-02-03, 06:46 PM
Edit History:
2/3-Reworded "Aura of the Accursed", corrections made to the Arcane sight description, replaced "Accursed Smite" feature on the table with it's revised name "Evil Eye"

Xuincherguixe
2008-02-03, 07:53 PM
I love it!

mabriss lethe
2008-02-03, 08:45 PM
One of the things I haven't worked out to my satisfaction is the spellcasting.

I like the flavor of divine casting in the scenario, but it would probably be more in tune conceptually as an arcane list. It just seems to me that power channeled through a curse should be divine for some reason. more mysterious, more supernatural in origin. I might snag bits and pieces of the assassin stat block to make the curse seeker a spontaneous caster,keeping it divine... but...shrugs... the jury is still out on that one.

I was going to try to put together a proper spell list, but really didn't have the time and resources to do it right, so I just approximated what his spell list should be by lumping hexblade and blackguard together.