I swear, one of these days, I'm going to make a dump of homebrew that will last an entire week! I churn more homebrew than I post, and that has to change!
...In any case, before the Pretender appears, I decided to post another PrC, and one that's sadly forgotten. Another Complete Warrior PrC, this class is meant to be linked, though not devoted, to the deity of wanton slaughter, Erythnul the Many. It's, unlike many of the other classes, a PrC that does not progress spellcasting, and that's good...but makes it more challenging to work with.
After a while, my computer began to suffer incessantly, and roughly a month ago (five days from now, actually), it stopped working. This meant the purchase of a new one, which I was paying little by little (yay for the lay...away!!), and after some rigorous testing, I'm ready to post again!
...Then I realized I hadn't really finished it. What the class needed was one or two things to finish out, so I made a quick check-up and finished it for you guys. The class retains its fear-related martial roots, but it's now far, far more dangerous than before, what with some really ugly and nasty tricks. It is a warrior that revels in slaughter, and also fights disgustingly dirty, all the while holding a massive weapon.
So, without further ado, I present to you...
THE RAVAGER (of Erythnul)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cw_ag/75470.jpg
Samurai vs. Ragers, by Joel Thomas. Originally appearing in Complete Warrior. All rights Wizards of the Coast.
"We will ride with death on our backs, or back we will return dead!!" -- Ravagers motto
Requirements
To qualify to become a ravager, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Chaotic evil, chaotic neutral or neutral evil
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Intimidate 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, Survival 8 ranks
Feats: Power Attack
Special: The character must be a worshipper of Erythnul and must survive the ravager initiation rites.
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Simple, yet fitting at the same time. Any barbarian with an Int of 8 can get in by 6th level, with fighters and rangers very close by. A dip in barbarian is phenomenal for entry. If anything, the main problem is the requirement of Knowledge (religion), which albeit easily fulfilled with cross-class ranks by 5th level, can be a problem if you lack many skill points.
Class Skills
The ravager’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
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Short, but to the point. This is what I went for the Ravager's skill list. Bluff for dirty fighting, Intimidate for demoralization, a combination of perception, athletic and stealth abilities, and Knowledge (religion) so they know who the heck they're dealing with. With 4+Int skill points, you should get a decent lot of skills to use.
Hit Die: d12
{TABLE=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2
|+2
|+0
|Cruelest cut +1d4, pain touch (damage)
2nd|+2|+3
|+3
|+0
|Disfiguration, brutal slaughter
3rd|+3|+3
|+3
|+1
|Cruelest cut +2d4 (bleeding), disheartening sneer
4th|+4|+4
|+4
|+1
|Bonus feat, pain touch (weakening), vicious slaughter
5th|+5|+4
|+4
|+1
|Cruelest cut +3d4 (+1), scrape deep
6th|+6|+5
|+5
|+2
|Disfiguration, aura of terror, sadistic slaughter
7th|+7|+5
|+5
|+2
|Cruelest cut +4d4 (vile), pain touch (nauseating)
8th|+8|+6
|+6
|+2
|Bonus feat, wolf in sheep's clothing, maiming slaughter
9th|+9|+6
|+6
|+3
|Cruelest cut +5d4 (disabling), deepest fears
10th|+10|+7
|+7
|+3
|Cruelest cut (+2), disfiguration, pain touch (slaughter), visage of terror[/TABLE]
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d12, full BAB, good Fort and Will saves, and chock-full of goodies at every level. We're starting good, no?
As you can see, instead of treating cruelest cut and pain touch as separate abilities that had weight on their own, I made them progressive abilities with various other abilities every levle. Thus, you always get something at every level, with the exception of 7th level (which only has progression of cruelest cut and pain touch, but hey, a nauseating pain touch can be a devastating attack...
The focus of the Ravager consists on damage, damage, more damage, fear, status effects, and dirty tricks. Oh, and damage. With the bonus feats spread around, the class is fit for a no-nonsense fighter who lives only to kill, maim and slaughter. However, it also has some protective abilities, because nothing can be more disheartening to a slaughterer that his abilities don't work as intended.
By the way, did I mention damage?
Class Features
All of the following are features of the ravager prestige class.
Weapon Proficiency: Ravagers gain proficiency with morningstars, flails and heavy flails (if they don’t have this ability already). If the ravager has proficiency with the morningstar, the flail and/or the heavy flail, he gains the Weapon Focus feat for either (or all) of the weapons.
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As with all other deity-based PrCs, ravagers get much better with their deity's favored weapon and some similar others, such as the flails. Weapon Focus is mostly cheap change at this rate, but consider it's a class that thrives on melee combat, and that such a point can be turned, easily, into 1-2 points of extra damage with Power Attack without costing you a feat slot. That's pretty decent, actually.
Cruelest Cut (Ex): The defining point of a ravager's fighting style isn't rooted on finesse or technique, but on simple and brutal effectiveness. Once the blade has landed, what matters is the wound itself; the more vicious the wound is, the more effective was the attack. Ravagers specialize in unleashing their aggression in a single strike, but causing such a lethal wound that the opponent may not easily recover.
As a full-round action, a ravager may make a cruelest cut. To make a cruelest cut, the ravager must be wielding a slashing or piercing weapon, a flail, or a morningstar, and must be capable of holding the weapon in two hands. If the attack is successful, the ravager deals an extra 1d4 points of damage as the weapon lodges deep into the opponent's body. Unlike other such methods of extra damage, cruelest cut multiplies on a critical hit. At 3rd level, and every two levels afterwards, the damage from cruelest cut increases by an extra 1d4. If a creature is flat-footed, the ravager may use cruelest cut as part of a melee attack, but the opponent immediately loses the flat-footed condition. Creatures immune to critical hits or sneak attacks are not immune to cruelest cut, but constructs are immune to the extra damage, and fortification applies against all traits of the attack.
At 3rd level, the wound bleeds after the weapon is dislodged. The target of a cruelest cut takes 1 point of damage for every bonus damage dice of cruelest cut, unless the opponent receives mundane or magical healing, or a Heal check equal to 15 + one and a half times the ravager's Strength modifier (at the moment of the attack).
At 5th level, whenever the ravager makes a cruelest cut attack, the target also takes 1 point of Constitution damage, as if it were part of the cruelest cut attack (thus, the same immunities apply). At 10th level, the ravager deals 2 points of Constitution damage instead.
At 7th level, damage dealt by a cruelest cut attack refuses to heal, tainted by the vile power of the god of slaughter. All extra damage dealt by the cruelest cut attack is considered vile damage (see Book of Vile Darkness, page 34 for more details), and thus may not be healed unless a healing spell is cast upon the target on a consecrated or hallowed area, or a spell is powerful enough to heal vile damage.
At 9th level, the damage dealt by a cruelest cut is so vicious the enemy cannot fight properly. If the target of a ravager's cruelest cut fails a Will saving throw (DC equal to 10 + the ravager's class level + the ravager's Strength modifier), it is treated as if disabled (except it does not lose damage when executing an action, unless the creature is at 0 hp; if under 0 hp, it falls unconscious as usual unless a spell or feat prevents it) until it receives healing of any source.
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The original cruelest cut ability was...decent, to say the least about it. Constitution damage is brutal, since it means a penalty to all Fortitude saves AND the lost of hit points (no questions asked), but it had the big problem of daily limitations. This is an ability that should be used at every moment.
Thus, cruelest cut behaves in many ways as sneak attack or any other kind of precision damage, with a caveat: since it's just the ravager knowing how to deliver maximum slaughter in the best possible area, it's not hard to think a full-round action single attack can't deliver it. Getting the enemy flat-footed is more devastating as you can land the cruelest cut AND still keep the full attack running, but the idea is that cruelest cut works well even with one attack.
That said, you may notice that some piddling extra damage is never enough. Thus, cruelest cut becomes more and more deadly as the ravager progresses. For starters, the damage is so brutal, it causes the enemy to bleed; just one attack causes repercussions in latter rounds, so if you don't kill it in one blow, you kill it in subsequent rounds. Then, you get less, but meaningful, Constitution damage: at level 10, that's (enemy HD) worth of hit point damage plus -1 to all Fort saves, PLUS all the damage, PLUS the consecutive damage every level.
Yet, why stop there? 7th level makes the damage vile, so you can't really heal the attack; since the wounds refuse to heal, you're effectively taking their HP little by little, even with only one blow. 9th level, however, is the crowning achievement as the enemy becomes disabled. Yes, you heard right: disabled. That means limiting the enemy to one single attack until it gets healed... Now, while you can't heal vile damage, you can heal other forms of damage, so it's not like the enemy will be disabled forever (going with that, bleeding damage can be stopped even if cruelest cut deals vile damage, as the bleeding is not consequently vile); however, and let's be frank...who heals in mid-battle? That's using metagame knowledge on your favor, though in this case it's probably the DM using it against the players. In any case, cruelest cut is now deadlier than ever, and given justice.
UPDATE: THe 7th level ability only applies to extra damage dice. Thus, only the d4's of damage, not the rest.
Pain Touch (Su): As a symbol of Erythnul's favor upon his favored disciples, even the touch of a ravager brings pain and suffering. This is a show of the nature of the god himself; the ravager is the bringer of pain and suffering through wanton, needless slaughter. Whenever the ravager makes a melee touch attack, the target takes 1d8 points of damage plus 1 point per class level. The ravager may make pain touches instead of melee attacks, thus allowing the ravager to make multiple pain touches on a single round. This damage results from divine power, and thus may not be blocked by damage reduction or resistance of any kind, but mindless creatures, undead, constructs and creatures immune to pain suffer none of the effects of the pain touch.
At 4th level, the pain inflicted by the ravager's touch weakens the enemy. If the target of a pain touch fails a Fortitude save against a DC of 10 + the ravager's class level + the ravager's Strength modifier, the target takes a penalty of -4 to all attacks, skill checks and ability checks for 1 hour (as if affected by a symbol of pain spell). A pain touch may impose the weakening effect on a creature once per round, but it may be applied to different creatures in the same round.
At 7th level, if the ravager chooses to extend the amount of time it touches a target, it wracks the creature with unbearable pain. As a standard action, a ravager making a pain touch causes the target to make a Fortitude save (with the same DC as above) or become nauseated for 1 round for every two class levels of the ravager (rounded down). Multiple uses of pain touch on the same target as a standard action do not stack, but a creature may be weakened as usual.
At 10th level, the ravager's grip on the target becomes potentially lethal. Once per encounter, as a full-round action, a ravager making a pain touch attack forces the creature to make a Fortitude save (with the same DC as above) or die from the unbearable pain. If the creature does not die from the attack, the ravager may attempt a pain touch with the same effect on a subsequent round against the same target or a different target.
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Unlike cruelest cut, pain touch was a joke, and not a funny one either. It was bad. Real, real bad. I mean, 1d8+ravager level damage a few times per day? Seriously, that's meant to be a worthy attack? I mean, the Dread Necromancer gets this ability at-will, just as powerful, can heal with it (if the DN is undead or has Tomb-Tainted Soul, that is)...so why pain touch has to be so weak?
Fear not, for I have made it deadlier. Literally...at least at 10th level it IS deadly.
At first, pain touch allows the ravager to deal melee touch attacks that deal some decent damage, even if it's not a LOT. It is mostly irresistible (no DR for it), so it's pretty safe damage. At 5th level, you're looking at 9-10 points of damage per hit, and being touch attacks means that their chances of hitting are pretty solid. Now, these are not attacks in the strictest sense of the word, so while you can use your iteratives on it, you really can't deal sneak attack damage, cruelest cut damage or any damage that depends on melee attacks with it.
What you CAN do with it, though, is debuffing. Pain touch, at 4th level, becomes a pretty brutal debuff, as a -4 to attack rolls can be annoying to just about everyone. 7th level, though, is more than just awesome: nausea is a pretty effective lockdown ability, as you can't do pretty much anything, and it lasts for quite a few rounds. Open with cruelest cut, then touch the enemy after movement, lock him down, finish him. In one-on-one battles, the ravager can be devastating.
However, I mentioned that pain touch was lethal. Enter 10th level: once per encounter, the ravager can essentially kill whomever it touches. Sure, it's a full-round action (good luck locking him down...oh wait, trip + nausea. Hardy har har!), but if it doesn't die, you can use it again and again. Once you use it, though, it's exhausted, but hey, one less! In any case, pain touch is pretty brutal no matter how you see it.
Disfiguration: A ravager generally makes no notice about its appearance; it usually wears the rough skins of slain creatures, caring not for personal hygiene for it takes time away from slaughter (unless it's a blood bath, which they take delightfully). However, if one part of their appearance they do care about, is how to resemble the Many, ritually disfiguring themselves to gain an edge in combat. Ravagers consider disfiguring their bodies in the name of Erythnul a sacred duty, and their god prizes them by granting them an edge in combat. At 2nd level, a ravager gains the Willing Deformity feat (see Book of Vile Darkness or Exemplars of Evil for details on the feat) as a bonus feat, and also gains a deformity feat of their choice (from those presented on Book of Vile Darkness or Exemplars of Evil). At 6th level, the ravager gains another deformity feat as a bonus feat.
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You guys already know I'm a fan of bonus feats. It's one of the ways to ease the choice of feats for every martial character, while not having to adopt the Pathfinder feat rules (or the Pathfinder rules, period.) However, here's a nice curve: Willing Deformity for free, plus a free deformity feat. Deformities can be pretty awesome, but the most interesting one is the one that grants you reach. Yes, I think of you...you're pretty good to me, so I need to be pretty good to you, and how better than to give free reach to melee? Of course, those are not the only deformities, and 6th level gives you another one for free. And, since you're unspeakably evil, why not choose more than one with your actual feat slots?
This is also an application of non-general feats fitting for a specific theme. The original Ravager underwent ritual scarification, so the use of deformity feats seemed like a given. It was just too good not to be considered, so I considered it for the class.
Brutal Slaughter (Su): Believers of Erythnul believe that, when they slaughter an enemy, their god gains a measure of power from the act. Indeed, Erythnul draws power from the souls of the slaughtered, but only those fallen in combat (what he draws from the souls of the weak is gleeful pleasure). At 2nd level, the ravager learns how to harness part of the power released from slaughter to further his own ends. Whenever a creature reaches -1 hit points or lower by means of a ravager's attack, the ravager may, as a swift action, immediately slay the creature in order to harness part of its power. Treat the effect as if a death knell spell had been cast upon the target, except as follows: the creature to be slaughtered must not have a Challenge Rating lower than the ravager's Hit Dice -2, the effect lasts for 1 round per Hit Dice of the slaughtered creature, and the ravager gains 1d8 temporary hit points plus 1 per Hit Dice of the slain creature, a +2 profane bonus to Strength, and a +1 profane bonus to Intimidate checks. The temporary hit points granted by the effect do not stack, but overlap, and only the highest amount applies. A ravager may not have a profane bonus to Strength by means of this ability higher than 2 points, plus 2 points for every three class levels after the first, rounded down (thus, a 2nd level ravager may only gain a +2 profane bonus to Strength, while a 10th level ravager that has slain 4 creatures gains a +8 profane bonus to Strength). The profane bonus to Intimidate checks, on the other hand, applies for every slain creature (regardless of the ravager's Hit Dice), and stacks.
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Another fitting ability, Brutal Slaughter is essentially what happens when a ravager goes the extra mile and pushes the enemy beyond the threshold of death. We've seen (and if you don't, make sure you read Exemplars of Evil to see what I mean) attempts to make instantaneous, flourishing finishing strikes which mostly take the target to -10, but do nothing else. No bonus (or an insignificant bonus), no reward, no anything: after all, if having the target at -5 and bleeding away to death is just as effective as -10 and dead (with the rare example of a cleric stopping the fight to heal its comrade), then there's no point on going the extra mile.
Brutal Slaughter, on the other hand, is intended for ravagers that want to revel in slaughter. A Death Knell-esque effect is not exactly a weak option, considering the benefits you get for going through with the kill. Particularly, the bonuses to Intimidate and Strength are nothing to scoff off, as ravagers thrive on high Intimidate and high Strength, the cornerstones of their task. Thus, when they kill someone, they become literally and figuratively stronger, as many of their abilities depend on high Intimidate and high Strength.
In other words: you don't want a ravager killing one of your buddies. Seriously, no.
Disheartening Sneer (Ex): The sneer of a mass murderer has the psychological effect of disheartening its victim. Erythnul, who delights in the faces of those whom his devotees slaughter, teaches his ravagers to extend that effect to more than one creature. Beginning at 3rd level, whenever the ravager makes an Intimidate check, it may choose to apply the effect to all creatures within a 10 ft. radius instead of a single creature.
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We all know about Never Outnumbered. It's a nice skill trick: actually, a pretty awesome ability. Demoralize at 10 ft. radius at the cost of a single standard action is nice, and with Imperious Command, a tool for locking the enemy into cowering stasis. This is its bigger brother: applies to ALL Intimidate checks (not just demoralization, so you can convince everyone within 10 ft. that they better be your pals or you'll slaughter them!!...and then you slaughter them anyways. For the lulz, you know...), and applies every single time (not just once per encounter as the skill trick). You also get it pretty early (8th level at most), so you can start thinking about mass Intimidation (just like a Chaotic Evil Takahashi no Onisan...and if you don't know about it, PM ShneekeyTheLost or Google it!) right at 9th level. Works wonders with Zhentarim Fighter, if you can stretch it.
Bonus Feat: At 4th level, and again at 8th level, a ravager gains a bonus feat in addition to those he obtains by means of class levels. These bonus feats may come from the list of fighter bonus feats. A ravager must still comply with the prerequisites for the bonus feat, as usual. A ravager stacks his levels in the prestige class with his effective Fighter level for purposes of fighter level prerequisites.
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So yeah, you get bonus deformity feats, and then you get bonus fighter feats. You're a darned warrior, so why not take advantage of getting some nice and juicy bonus feats ripe for slaughter, and leave your precious level-based feats for other abilities. I mean, by now the ravager is probably a devotee of Erythnul, so why not add the Death or Destruction Devotion feats? Or Incarnum, or maybe dabble in soul binding...whatever pleases you. With these bonus feats, you can make bolder choices for better builds. This is the T.G. Oskar build badassery guarantee!!
Oh, and it comes with free effective Fighter levels. Another trademark from my part. I swear, when you see my feat retooling, you'll understand why I insist so much in mentioning this...
Vicious Slaughter (Su): A ravager draws from the power of his god to cause brutal damage to his enemies, even if he takes a portion of the damage itself. For ravagers, experiencing the pain of their deity is a pleasure, albeit a grim and disgusting one, that motivates them into combat. Beginning at 4th level, whenever a ravager holds a slashing or piercing weapon or a flail in two hands, or wields a morningstar, the weapon is treated as if it had the vicious special quality. This ability may not be deactivated (thus, the ravager always takes damage when attacking).
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So, not only do you get free bonus feats, a free at-will melee touch attack that deals no-DR damage, and an awesome attack with cruelest cut, you also get the Vicious property for free? Why, this is extremely fitting for the wanton slaughterer! 2d6 points of damage for free with every attack (with you taking 1d6, but hey, eventually your temporary HP will soak part of it, and you can hang up with a potion or two), which further increases your damage potential.
Scrape Deep (Ex): Whenever a ravager abandons himself in the act of slaughter, no defense can truly overcome its deadly strikes. At 5th level, whenever a ravager makes a cruelest cut attack, wields a morningstar, or uses the Power Attack feat with a weapon in two hands and expends at least 5 points of its base attack bonus, the ravager may choose to ignore a single source of damage reduction. Thus, if the ravager wields a masterwork flail in two hands and makes a cruelest cut with Power Attack against a creature that has damage reduction bypassed by magic adamantine weapons, the ravager is treated as if holding a magic adamantine weapon for purposes of bypassing the damage reduction. However, if the same creature had two sources of damage reduction (such as DR against magic adamantine weapons and DR against good weapons, which would normally overlap), only one source is negated.
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So, as we know, one of the biggest, cruelest things to do to a warrior is adding DR to its opponent. DR always soaks damage, even if only a measly few points. However, if you can't keep up with the damage, you'll eventually feel that DR. What about a lucky source of DR negating part of the damage needed to kill the enemy in a single blow, so you can take advantage of Brutal Slaughter and then get better Strength? Bummer, I know, so ravagers have a way to bypass DR as an extraordinary action.
Now, as you can see, the definition for "source of DR" is pretty clear: when you use this ability, you negate one, and specifically ONE source of DR, as in "DR X/Y". Sometimes, you may get differing sources of DR: one can be "DR X/Y" and another be "DR XX/YY", with X and XX being different numbers (always one lower than the other, obviously) and Y and YY being different ways of beating it (or not, as they can be defeated by the same source of DR or not beaten at all, such as DR X/-). This ignores ONE single source, so in case you get DR X/magic and DR XX/magic, you can ignore DR X or DR XX, but NOT the other. Likewise, if it's DR X/magic and DR X/cold iron, you can ignore DR X/magic or DR X/cold iron, but not the other. This is to prevent the idea of just ignoring all sources of DR altogether, in the rare and unusual case that two sources of DR overlap. By all means, it should be pretty rare, but if it happens, then we shouldn't penalize the one who prepares for just about everything, no?
Aura of Terror (Su): The sole presence of a ravager in the battlefield, the mere uttering of his name brings terror upon his opponents. This reputation becomes a lingering aura of fear that always surrounds the ravager, demoralizing his enemies whenever they draw too close. At 6th level, all creatures within 30 feet of the ravager at the beginning of its turn must make a Will saving throw (against a DC of 10 + the ravager's class level + the ravager's Strength modifier) or become shaken until the end of the encounter. This fear effect stacks with any other fear effects and allows other fear effects to stack; thus, if a ravager makes an Intimidating Strike (a feat from the Player's Handbook II supplement), he can turn a single enemy from shaken to frightened, even if the Intimidating Strike feat normally wouldn't allow it (however, it wouldn't make the creature panicked unless a third, stacking source applied). This effect lasts for as long as the creature remains within the aura. If the creature makes its saving throw against the ravager's aura of terror, it becomes immune to the ability for 24 hours thereafter.
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Aura of Terror, in the original, wasn't really that hot. It was limited per day (as with the other abilities), and it only limited you to shaken, not enabling other forms of stacking fear. Proper locking requires the ability to stack fear effects so the enemy gets panicked, so it's a bad idea that you can mostly reach shaken as a warrior, while the cheating spellcaster gets hundreds of different ways to stack fear effects. Fear no longer, as "specific trumps general" strikes with unholy might to allow sadistic slaughterers the ability to bypass fear stacking restrictions. So, if you get a ravager with Intimidating Strike AND demoralize, you can send him right into the panic zone, and with some clever applications of lockdown you can keep him cowering, hence flat-footed and ready for your cruelest cut. Or, you know, just give him the hit of grace and kill him already: more Strength for you, less allies for them. Now THIS is what Aura of Terror should be. As you can see, the debuffing abilities of the Ravager are nothing to scoff off, as weakening, fear and nausea can be pretty devastating (considering that a few of them are to an extent extraordinary, so...)
Sadistic Slaughter (Su): Beginning at 6th level, the ravager's attacks innately strike the most vulnerable parts of one's body. Whenever a ravager holds a slashing or piercing weapon or a flail in two hands, or wields a morningstar, the weapon is treated as if it had the keen special quality. As usual, this benefit does not stack with Improved Critical, but if the ravager has this feat, it gains a +4 profane bonus on attack rolls to confirm critical hits and on critical hit damage (which gets multiplied, as usual).
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Wait a sec...so not only do I get free Vicious, but I also get free Keen? And Improved Critical still grants a benefit? NIIIICE!!!
...that's what I expect to hear from you. We all know that the best way to deliver as much damage as possible is with a critical hit, so why not raise the stakes? Furthermore, why not make the critical hit better and hit HARDER (I mean, a greataxe with the Sadistic Slaughter-based keen weapon property and Improved Critical deals an extra 12 points of damage on a critical...
Maiming Slaughter (Su): Beginning at 8th level, the ravager's attacks cause more damage than the norm. Whenever a ravager holds a slashing or piercing weapon or a flail in two hands, or wields a morningstar, the weapon is treated as if it had the maiming special quality.
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...scrap that, 2d6+12 points of damage.
So yes, not only do I think about Vicious and Keen, but also Maiming. Critical hits will hurt like nobody's business. By the way, have I mentioned that a heavy flail is 19-20/x2, so while not exactly deadly in terms of critical damage, it's brutal for fishing crits? Add Blood in the Water and you can just rely on the raw damage.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Sp): Although ravagers are savage in their methods of combat, they are not devoid of intellect. Their deity, Erythnul, has traits of all savage creatures, and is fond of trickery in combat. Ravagers, already disfigured, learn how to assume the visage of innocent creatures, or the images of beloved ones, to lure their enemies into a sense of safety before enabling their brutal task. Nothing can be more terrifying than having your loved ones betray you, and the scar of the survivors causes great despair upon them; a victory for a ravager, even if not ending in slaughter.
Beginning at 8th level, a ravager gains a limited form of the change shape ability. A ravager may only assume the form of humanoids, monstrous humanoids and their own type and subtype, but the effect is merely cosmetic and does not provide the target's racial, extraordinary or supernatural qualities (but it does provide a +10 bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks). However, the ravager may only assume the form of creatures it has slaughtered. Alternatively, by spending 1 round in concentration and studying the enemy, the ravager gains a glimpse of a creature dear to the target. If the creature is a humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or member of the ravager's type and subtype, the ravager may assume the form of the creature as a standard action. In order to use this ability, the ravager must not be wielding a weapon in its hand (natural weapons are allowed, however).
While transformed, the ravager may make Bluff checks (against the target's sense motive) to lull the enemy into a sense of safety. Treat this as feint checks, except the ravager needs not feign an attack in order to succeed (the effect is different, such as an amorous advance or a simple request for a handshake). A successful Bluff check causes the enemy to become flat-footed against the ravager for as long as it does not attack the target or any of its allies. If the ravager decides to attack the enemy, the ravager acts as if making a cruelest cut attack (with all relevant abilities), and may remain on the form or resume its own. While transformed, the ravager loses all benefits of its aura of terror and deformity feats; however, if the ravager makes a successful cruelest cut attack, he gains a +10 bonus on Intimidate checks against the target for as long as it remains transformed. If the target succeeds by 5 or more on a single Sense Motive check, the target notices the ruse of the ravager and is no longer treated as flat-footed; the target may choose to keep this information and Bluff the ravager or immediately reveal it.
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This may seem like the oddball within the group. Remember I mentioned that ravagers fight dirty? Well, this represents all of their "dirty fighting" maneuvers: playing the wolf in sheep's clothing card.
I mean, nothing can be as utterly frightening as disguising as someone the enemy cares and loves, and then sticking a cold steel blade of death on their guts as you grin sadistically.
...yes, while I am a fan of Paladins, I can have a twisted, sick mind sometimes.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing represents the trickery of Erythnul (as you may remember, since Erythnul has Trickery amongst its domains) applied to mass slaughter. When fighting against a ravager, you're not just fighting a skilled warrior; you're fighting someone who knows how to use fear as a weapon, and who won't hesitate to use your own fears against you, or the love you hold for others. Compared to this, throwing sand in someone's face or stealing their weapon after a flashy disarm is child's play: it's a dirty trick on the enemy's mind, as if the ravager survives, there is nothing that prevents another ravager from pulling the same trick on you. Paranoia, delusions, seeing enemies everywhere...that's really a low blow, and ravagers delight on using this.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing can be used for OTHER things, though. Spying, for example. Or just walking around, hiding in plain sight. Creativity is the name of this ability.
Deepest Fears (Ex): At 9th level, the ravager has studied the many ways to frighten an opponent, and knows the right words to unnerve even the boldest of creatures. As a prize for such studies, Erythnul grants his disciples the ability to overcome the mental blocks and immunities against fear of many creatures, allowing them to experience utter terror by preying on their deepest fears. Whenever a ravager uses a fear effect against a target, he ignores all immunities against fear and mind-affecting effects that the target may possess; however, the target gains a +10 bonus on Will saves instead (in the case of Intimidate, they get a +10 on their level checks). Mindless creatures are not affected by this ability (and thus retain their immunities).
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What's the worst thing a fearmonger can face? If your response is "his opponent's just too damn courageous", then you struck gold. Immunity to fear is just TOO overrated, and aside from Dread Witch, there is NO OTHER WAY to ignore it. Particularly for martial characters, who suddenly lose the very useful demoralization ability at very high levels, something that's really unfair for them.
That is why Deepest Fears is here. As I mentioned on Project Heretica, and once again paraphrasing President John F. Kennedy, "courage is resistance of fear, mastery of fear...not the absence of it". Knowing no fear doesn't make you courageous (so the above answer is sorta wrong), but rather fearless. But, everyone has its fears. Not knowing what fear is doesn't mean that you can't feel fear; you just know it as something else. You know, maybe the butterflies on your stomach (or the gutworms in your stomach) going haywire, or that chill that happens on a sunny, warm day. Eventually, the ravager will know what makes you fear, and prey on it, until you start to KNOW fear. Those who are truly courageous will overcome it, and those who are merely immune may find themselves falling prey to it. The high bonus to Will saves against fear effects makes sure the task is inhumanely hard, but doable. And that's just enough for the ravager.
Visage of Terror (Sp):At 10th level, the ravager has seen the mighty and terrible visage of Erythnul in his dreams, and has overcome his own fears. By preying upon their targets' deepest fears, the ravager may literally kill his opponents out of sheer terror. Once per encounter, the ravager may duplicate the effect of a weird spell, as if cast by a sorcerer of the ravager's character level, except as follows: the saving throw for the fear effect is equal to the ravager's Intimidate check (only ranks and bonus from Charisma applies, not other bonuses), and if a target fails its Will save but succeeds on its Fortitude save, it takes hit point damage as if struck by a cruelest cut attack (instead of the normal damage) and takes 1d4 points of Constitution damage instead of Strength damage (but still remains stunned for 1 round). The shadowy images manifest as the deepest fears of each individual. The ravager's brutal slaughter ability applies to all creatures slain by this ability.
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And, for the capstone...a true retooling of their signature ability.
Visage of Fear was meant to be a powerful ability, as while limited to once per day, it had the chance of outright killing your enemy. However, as you may know, it has three problems.
- One, it's a fear effect. With so many enemies immune to fear, their greatest ability didn't work on those you may want to use it the most.
- Two, it's based on Phantasmal Killer, so you have the problem of affecting only a SINGLE enemy, and the DC was so low that the enemy had a good chance of succeeding.
- Three, the effect was limited to only ONCE per day. So, if you failed, you lost your best ability, the one you spent 10 levels training for.
Isn't that a bummer? Fortunately, the new
visage of terror works differently.
For starters, Deepest Fears works with it, so the range of enemies it can affect just multiplied. Or at least, expanded to essentially everyone. Second, its DC is unusual, as it's based on your INTIMIDATE bonus, which can be potentially unbeatable (though you get no aid from Brutal Slaughter on this one, and if you have poor Charisma, it CAN be beatable. It's just that a DC based on a d20 check can be potentially devastating). Third, it's based on
Weird, so it affects a great deal of enemies, not just one. Fourth, even if the enemy succeeds on the Fortitude save against the unbeatable Intimidate-based DC, the enemy takes damage from Cruelest Cut, and takes a massive hit to Constitution. So that's 5d4 points of HP damage plus 5 points bleeding damage plus 1d4 Constitution damage, of which the HP damage is vile and potentially leaves you disabled, AND you still get stunned for 1 round. By 10th level, you'll always start using this ability, and then finish with the rest. And finally, whomever dies from
Visage of Terror empowers you. You lose nothing for using this as an opening salvo, considering that it's usable once per encounter.
RAVAGER INITIATION RITES
One of the prerequisites of entering the ravagers involves surviving their initiation rites. All of the rites involve ritualistic murder and end up with a pledge to devote their lives to slaughter, but not all ravagers execute the rites in the same way. Some ravagers favor subtlety (as much as the ravager can muster before indulging in slaughter), others favor gore and gruesome deaths, and yet others favor ritualistic combat to the death. Each band of ravagers has its own method, which may differ only slightly in some cases, but more often than not the rite will be distinctive from the rest. This methodology defines their usual tactics: those who favor subtlety tend to work as hunters, while those who favor gruesome deaths work as a barely organized horde, and those who favor ritualistic combat tend to work as slavemasters (for those few people they neglect to slaughter). Other types of ravagers may exist, but all are bound in their devotion to Erythnul; that doesn't mean being on a band of ravagers protects the member from the other bands. Slaying a ravager supposedly pleases Erythnul the most, and one common rite is to slaughter a ravager and bring proof of its demise (or have at least three witnesses to the slaughter).
Common forms of initiation are as follows:
Subtlety: the following work for ravagers that focus on hunting
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- mark a creature of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2, pursue and lead the prey into a prospective area, and slaughter. The creature must be intelligent and aware that it is being pursued, but must not have agreed to sacrifice its life for the prospective ravager.
- lure a creature of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2 towards a specified area and deliver a foul blow in the name of Erythnul. The creature must be intelligent and unaware of the act.
- torment a creature (regardless of CR) for no less than one month, then at the end of the period slaughter and sacrifice to Erythnul. The creature must, at least once per day, feel the prospective ravager's threat lingering in the distance, which slowly forms fear of the unknown. If the creature, by the end of the period, has developed a great psychological trauma, it becomes fit for the sacrifice. The method in which it becomes intimidated does not matter, but the creature must feel fear.
- lure a creature (regardless of CR) to hold enough despair to take its own life, stop the creature from executing the act, then take advantage of the safety in order to execute the kill and the sacrifice to Erythnul. The amount of time does not matter (usually one week to one month), but the creature must have held some significance to the prospective ravager (such as a family member or a spouse).
Gore: the following work for ravagers that seek to join a "slaughterhorde"
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- defeat a creature of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2 and finish by devouring its visceras. The prospective ravager must show no hesitation in any part of the act, or else the ravagers end his life. A prospective ravager devouring viscera must succeed on a Fortitude save of DC 15 (+5 if the creature's visceras are particularly gruesome) and suffer any effect related to the creature (for example, if the creature had a form of contact or ingestion poison, the ravager must succeed on the Fortitude save to negate the effect).
- slay several creatures. Creatures slain throughout the adventuring career do not count; a prospective ravager must engage in battle with any number of creatures whose combined CR would exceed twice the ravager's class level and slay them in the most gruesome manner. Some ravagers are exempt from the act, such as those whom have committed genocide for no other reason than enjoying the slaughter, or engaged in a skirmish where the prospective ravager slew many combatants on his own.
- defeat a creature of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2 and despoil the corpse in at least three ways.
- cause a creature of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice to become incapacitated in the presence of the entire band of ravagers and then execute a coup-de-grace with a morningstar or a weapon in such a way that mauls the creature's body in the most gruesome way possible. Usually, a two-handed weapon with a critical threat multiplier of x3 or higher is chosen.
Ritualistic Combat: the following work for ravagers that focus on specific forms of combat.
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- engage an intelligent humanoid (or monstrous humanoid) of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2 to a death match. The match must have at least three restrictions (such as not wielding a weapon in two hands, or not using Power Attack). At the end of the combat, the losing creature is viciously annihilated in the presence of the band of ravagers as a sacrifice for Erythnul.
- engage in a gauntlet match. The match may be a deathmatch or hold another restriction (such as the prospective ravager be the last man standing, a one-on-one first blood match, or similar restrictions). If the prospective ravager wins the match, it succeeds on the ritual
- engage an intelligent humanoid (or monstrous humanoid) of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2 to an unusual form of combat. These types of matches may involve spitting curses to their opponent (with a weak curse becoming grounds to forfeit the match), fighting in an unusual arena, or similar oddities. The outcome of the combat is decided by the warband; if the warband is entertained by the newcomer, it is allowed to remain and succeds on the ritual.
- engage in a handicap match against a creature of a CR no less than the prospective ravager's Hit Dice minus 2. The handicap and the victory condition is chosen by the prospective ravager; if the victory condition involves survival, the amount of rounds that a prospective ravager must survive are determined by the type of handicap (thus, fighting with one hand tied behind may require surviving for 2 minutes, while fighting bloodied, unarmed and unarmored may involve surviving only 5 rounds).
Once the ritual is successfully completed, the second part of the initiation rites begins; the pledge. Unlike the initiation rituals, the pledge is generally the same for all ravagers. The Fire Sacrifice involves bloodletting and fire, but some ravagers change the sacrifice to be used. Generally, the prospective ravager spends time in prayer while the sacrifice is enabled; then, the sacrifice is punctured to initiate bloodletting (through an unusual method of cruelest cut or using a weapon that causes bleeding) and then the sacrifice is burned alive. The method in which the sacrifice happens varies:
- Some bands force the newcomer to enact the sacrifice, but the sacrificial victim is left to their own desires. It is the task of the entrant to subdue the sacrifice, but it must always be on the altar of sacrifice
- Some bands execute the sacrifice on their own, but bind the newcomer in a specific way; some bands allow the dripping blood to "baptize" the entrant, while others force the newcomer to experience the pain of the sacrificial creature (such as by forcing the entrant to touch the creature)
- Some bands use the newcomer as the sacrifice; the newcomer is wounded to cause bloodletting, followed by burning them alive. If the newcomer survives for an amount of time or does not hesitate during the ritual, the entrant succeeds on the rite. Some bands force the entrant to die, but if the ritual is done correctly, the entrant is revived by Erythnul (or one of his followers) moments after death (for example, a successful rite causes the creature to remain whole and not consume).
The end of the Fire Sacrifice uses the flames of the sacrificial pyre to mark the ravager forever. Once a ravager is marked, the individual is forevermore a ravager and may not abandon his oath. A few ravagers have managed to escape their oath (generally by seeking the favor of other deities and engaging in adventures while denying the Ravagers' way of life), but once a ravager dies, his or her soul forevermore belongs to Erythnul. The life of a ravager determines its utility in the future; a ravager who was weak in slaughter is used to fuel the power of a magic weapon, while a particularly successful ravager may become an agent of Erythnul in the afterlife, potentially even sponsoring a band of ravagers of its own with unholy power.
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The original Ravager PrC had a very unique way of entering aside from the requirements: a fluff requirement that was meant to be pretty shocking. As you can imagine, it's...mildly shocking, but not enough. Just...not enough.
So, yours truly went to the task of expanding that fluff, so that you could build your own band of ravagers exactly as you want. While this is mostly for DMs who wish to add flavor to their campaigns, or players that fully enjoy the deep roleplaying aspect of being a member of a band of ravagers, this serves to understand how the ravagers work in the world. Not all are bloodthirsty savages who live to kill: some do it out of a sense of pride, others as a game, others just for the evulz, and yet others find a grotesque form of honor in ritual combat. Of course, this isn't the ONLY way to deal with the ravager initiation rites, but if you like fluff, this section's for you.
