PrC Contest XXIV: Good Will Towards Men!

[ErrantX]

Good Will Towards Men!

---

Whenever evil rises, there are those who rise against it.

_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/

Giant in the Playground PrC Contest XXIV

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will run through midnight of January 11th.

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until midnight of January 21st.

Rules

1) You will be creating an 'original' prestige class. This class must be a heroic class of good alignment. You could write about an order of sorcerers devoted to Bahamut, a paladin order without lands that wander about doing good, a circle of druids who traffic with guardinals, barbarians who channel eladrin in combat, bards with holy magic from the stars, or fighters who bear an angel's weapon. Sky's the limit here. Any Wizard of the Coast source is permitted. Have fun!

2) Entries must include name, complete class, and fluff, combat related and role playing related. Incomplete entries at the deadline will be disqualified.

3) Entries must be 3.5, using the standard format below.

4) Post all entries in this thread. Post all conversation, questions, etc here in the
chat thread).

5) Maximum of one entry per participant (gotta save up those creative juices for the next one too!)

6) Entries must be your own work, and must not be copied for other places. Only new work may submitted; no previously posted work will be accepted. Such entries will be disqualified. Such entries will be disqualified.

7) No reserving posts. Feel free to tweak your class, but the initial post must include the basics.

8) Joke classes will be disqualified; I have allowed them in the past but they've happened far to frequently and I tire of them. Serious entries please.

_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/

And here's helpers if you need it!

(Fax Celestis' Prestige Class Creation Thread)
(Djinn_In_Tonic's What to make and How to make it special!)

[ErrantX]

PRESTIGE CLASS NAME



Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!

A general description of whatever the class is!

BECOMING A CLASS NAME
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
:
:
:
:
:

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
Skills Points at Each Level: x + int

Hit Dice: dx

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day

1st|

+x

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+x

|

+x

|

+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

2nd|

+x

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+x

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+x

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+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

3rd|

+x

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+x

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+x

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+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

4th|

+x

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+x

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+x

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+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

5th|

+x

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+x

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+x

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+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

6th|

+x

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+x

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+x

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+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

7th|

+x

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+x

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+x

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+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

8th|

+x

|

+x

|

+x

|

+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

9th|

+x

|

+x

|

+x

|

+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level

10th|

+x

|

+x

|

+x

|

+x

|Class Ability|+1 existing class level[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Spoiler

Show

[color=maroon][size=5][b]PRESTIGE CLASS NAME [/b][/size][/color]

[IMG]http://Picture URL[/img]

[i]Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class! [/i]

A general description of whatever the class is!

[size=4][color=maroon]BECOMING A CLASS NAME [/color][/size]
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

[b]ENTRY REQUIREMENTS[/b]
[b]:[/b]
[b]:[/b]
[b]:[/b]
[b]:[/b]
[b]:[/b]

[b][size=3][color=maroon]Class Skills[/color][/size][/b]
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
[b]Skills Points at Each Level: [/b]x + int

[b]Hit Dice:[/b] dx

{table=head][b]Level[/b]|[b]Base Attack Bonus[/b]|[b]Fort Save[/b]|[b]Ref Save[/b]|[b]Will Save[/b]|[b]Special[/b]

1st|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

2nd|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

3rd|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

4th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

5th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

6th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

7th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

8th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

9th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability

10th|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|[center]+x[/center]|Class Ability[/table]

[b]Weapon Proficiencies[/b]: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

[color=maroon][size=4][b]PLAYING A CLASS NAME[/b][/size][/color]
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
[b]Combat:[/b] Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
[b]Advancement:[/b] This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
[b]Resources:[/b] What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

[size=4][color=maroon][b]CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD[/b][/color][/size]
[i]A quote of somebody else talking about your class![/i]

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
[b]Daily Life:[/b] Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
[b]Notables:[/b] Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
[b]Organizations:[/b] Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

[size=4][color=maroon][b]NPC Reaction[/b][/color][/size]
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

[color=maroon][size=4][b]CLASS NAME IN THE GAME[/b][/size][/color]
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
[b]Adaptation:[/b] This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
[b]Encounters:[/b] This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

[size=4][color=maroon][b]Sample Encounter[/b][/color][/size]
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
[b]EL x:[/b] Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


[size=4]Name[/size]
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
[b]Init[/b] +0, [b]Senses[/b]: Listen +, Spot +,
[b]Languages[/b]
------------------------------------------------
[b]AC[/b] , touch , flat-footed ()
[b]hp[/b] ( HD)
[b]Fort[/b] +, [b]Ref[/b] +, [b]Will[/b] +
------------------------------------------------
[b]Speed[/b] ft. ( squares)
[b]Melee[/b]
[b]Base Atk[/b] +, [b]Grp[/b] +
[b]Atk Options[/b]
[b]Combat Gear[/b]
[b]Spells Prepared[/b]
[b]Supernatural Abilities[/b]
-----------------------------------------------
[b]Abilities[/b] Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
[b]SQ[/b]
[b]Feats[/b]
[b]Skills[/b]
[b]Possessions[/b]

[InaVegt]

Loving Mentat



"Fueled by love for all that lives, I shall vanquish evil!"

Of all those gifted with psionic might, only a few call up their might through emotion rather than intellect. And of those, only a few are able to harness love as the source of their psionic might. And of those, only a rare few are able to unlock their true potential. Those who do are referred to as Loving Mentats. These people selflessly risk life and limb to rescue others.

Becoming a Loving Mentat
Nobody can teach you to become a Loving Mentat, but those who became one all share the same experience. Someone close to them was threatened, and while channeling their psionic might, they went beyond the limit of what should've been possible.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Skills: Autohypnosis 9 ranks
Feats: Overchannel
Class Features: Wild Surge +2
Manifesting: Ability to manifest 3rd level powers

Class Skills
The loving Mentat's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft(Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Manifesting

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Loving Fury 5, Wild Surge +1|+1 level of existing manifesting class

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Loving Fury 10|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3||

+1 level of existing manifesting class

4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Loving Fury 15|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Wild Surge +2|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

6th|+4|+2|+2|+5|Loving Fury 25|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

7th|+5|+2|+2|+5||

+1 level of existing manifesting class

8th|+6|+2|+2|+6|Loving Fury 35|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Wild Surge +3|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Loving Fury 55|

+1 level of existing manifesting class

[/table]

Manifesting: At every level, a loving mentat gains power points/day, manifesting level, and powers known as though he had taken a level in a pre-existing manifesting class. If there's multiple of these, the loving mentat can choose, once chosen, this choice cannot be changed.

Wild Surge: As the wilder class feature. Stacks with the wilder class feature.

Loving Fury: Each day, the loving mentat can spend 2 rounds/level in a Loving Fury. While in such a state, the loving mentat gains protection from Evil, a +2 bonus on manifester level on all damaging powers that target at least one evil being (this has all the benefits of an increased manifester level) gains DR 5/non-evil, and gains power resistance 10+manifester level against all powers and spells manifested by evil beings, as well as all such effects with the [Evil] descriptor. Additionally, the loving mentat has a stock of power points that can only be used while within a loving fury, as shown in the table. While in a loving fury, the loving mentat is surrounded by a bright aura of light, equivalent to a daylight spell.

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Amphetryon]

Giving Tree



”Come, Boy. Come and play.”

There are some who would insist that the surest way to protect a life is by the quick and bloody destruction of any who would seek to do harm. The Giving Trees disagree vehemently, perceiving this, ultimately, as a path to folly and personal destruction as an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. A Giving Tree will defend violence with violence if necessary, but would rather negate the necessity by simply removing the fight from the opponents, or absorbing the punishment without complaint himself.

BECOMING A GIVING TREE
The first to join the Giving Trees were Druids, fully committed to the idea of defending their companions to the utmost of their abilities. Certain Clerics and Spirit Shamans are often attracted to the altruistic life of a Giving Tree now, as are some multiclass Knights, Paladins, and Crusaders who take the vow of defending their charges at all costs very seriously.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Good.
Skills: Diplomacy 8 ranks, Heal 8 ranks, Listen 8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks
Feats: Goad (CAd 109), Stigmata (BoED 46)
Special: Must have a Natural Armor bonus of at least +1

Class Skills
The Giving Tree's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (CON), Craft (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Heal (WIS), Knowledge (nature) (INT), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (INT), Listen (WIS), Profession (WIS), Sense Motive (WIS), Spot (WIS), Survival (WIS), Use Magic Device (CHA)
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Diehard, Protective Strike

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|+1 Natural Armor, Healing Gift

3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Take One For the Team, Provoking Strike

4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|+2 Natural Armor, Restoring Gift

5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|This Will Hurt Me More Than You, Shielding Strike

6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|+3 Natural Armor, Greater Healing Gift

7th|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|I Can Take It, Sanctuary Strike

8th|

+6

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|+4 Natural Armor, Greater Restoring Gift

9th|

+6

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Shoulder the Burden, Preventative Strike

10th|

+7

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|+5 Natural Armor, Ultimate Gift[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Giving Tree gains proficiency with the Entangling Pole and the Grasping Pole (BoED, p34). She gains no new proficiencies in armor or shields.

A NOTE ON THE GIVING TREE’S ABILITIES: Many of the abilities of a Giving Tree make specific reference to an ally. A Giving Tree never counts as her own ally for any of these abilities, even if she would otherwise qualify as her own ally for other purposes.

Diehard (Ex): A 1st level Giving Tree gains the Diehard feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

Protective Strike (Ex): At 1st level, a Giving Tree becomes more protective of his friends. Any time an ally takes damage as a result of an enemy’s attack roll, a Giving Tree may immediately take an Attack of Opportunity against that enemy, provided the Giving Tree has an AoO available and the enemy is within the Giving Tree’s reach.

Natural Armor (Ex): At each even level, a Giving Tree receives a +1 Sacred bonus to her Natural Armor, toughening her against enemy attacks.

Healing Gift (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a Giving Tree’s allies are rejuvenated by her heroic sacrifices for their benefit. Whenever a Giving Tree is reduced to 50% or less of her normal maximum HP total as a result of an attack or trap, allies within 30’ of her who have Line of Sight to the Giving Tree gain Fast Healing 2. This effect lasts for as long as she is conscious and at or below 50% HP and remains in Line of Sight of her allies. When she is at 6th level Giving Tree and above, her allies instead gain Fast Healing 4. This Fast Healing stacks with any other Fast Healing a Giving Tree's allies may have. A Giving Tree may not willingly inflict these wounds herself to activate, or perpetuate, Healing Gift, and neither may her allies.

Take One For the Team (Ex): Once per round as an Immediate Action, a Giving Tree of 3rd level or above may redirect a single attack away from an ally and toward himself. The ally must be within Line of Sight of the Giving Tree, and the enemy must be able to reach the Giving Tree with the attack. Effects that do damage without an attack roll may not be redirected in this manner. Attacks redirected to the Giving Tree are otherwise resolved normally.

Provoking Strike (Ex): At 3rd level and above, any enemy struck by a Giving Tree’s Protective Strike must make a Will save in order to attack anyone other than the Giving Tree in the next round. The DC for this save is 10 + the Giving Tree’s class level + the Giving Tree’s CHA modifier, if any. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Restoring Gift (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a Giving Tree may restore her allies’ abilities through supplication and self-abasement. She may restore ability score Damage or Drain, as per the Restoration spell, by 1 point for every 1 point of CHA damage she voluntarily takes upon herself. CHA damage taken for the Restoring Gift ability returns at the rate of 1 point/hour, and may not be recovered by any means other than time. At 8th level and beyond, the rate of restoration becomes 2 points for every 1 point of CHA damage taken.

This Will Hurt Me More Than You (Su): A Giving Tree of 5th level or higher takes on more of the burden of his allies’ pain, urging them on even through his own exhaustion. Allies within 30’ of a Giving Tree of 5th level and above gain DR 1/- for as long as he remains conscious. Every point of damage reduced in this manner is taken as damage by the Giving Tree.

Shielding Strike (Ex): From 5th level on, any ally whose injury provoked a Protective Strike gains a Sacred bonus to her AC equal to the CHA bonus of the Giving Tree (minimum +1) for as long as the enemy hit by the Protective Strike remains a threat. A given ally may only benefit from a single iteration of this ability per encounter. Any effect which alters the Giving Tree’s CHA bonus after the Shielding Strike occurs does not alter the Holy bonus to AC granted.

I Can Take It (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a Giving Tree becomes more resilient in the face of adversity. He may act normally at negative HP, without risking becoming unconscious, although he still dies at -10 HP as normal. In addition, any time his Healing Gift is active, a Giving Tree gains Fast Healing 1, as his desire to help his allies sustains him. This Fast Healing can never take the Giving Tree above 50% of his normal maximum HP. Except where noted above, this Fast Healing stacks with any other Fast Healing the Giving Tree may have.

Sanctuary Strike (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, any ally a Giving Tree has protected via Protective Strike gains all the benefits of Concealment - but not Total Concealment - against the target of the Protective Strike, for as long as the Giving Tree threatens that target. The Giving Tree harries and hovers around the offending enemy, preventing her from getting off a clean hit against his ally.

Shoulder the Burden (Ex): Once per round as an Immediate Action, a Giving Tree of 9th level or higher may redirect a full attack action away from an ally and toward himself. The attacker must be able to reach the Giving Tree with the attacks, and the ally must be within Line of Effect of the Giving Tree. Effects that do damage without an attack roll may not be redirected in this way. Attack rolls redirected to the Giving Tree are otherwise resolved normally.

Preventative Strike (Ex): Anyone struck by the Protective Strike of a Giving Tree of 9th level or higher must make a Will save (DC 10 + the Giving Tree’s Class level + CHA modifier) or be Dazed for a number of rounds equal to the Giving Tree’s CHA modifier. Regardless of whether the save is made, the enemy must still make another Will save to attack anyone other than the Giving Tree the next round in which that enemy can act, as per Provoking Strike.

Ultimate Gift (Su): At 10th level, a Giving Tree becomes able to give the gift of life to a fallen comrade, at the expense of her own. As a swift action, a Giving Tree whose ally dies in combat may sacrifice her life in order to resurrect that ally; the ally is otherwise treated as having received a True Resurrection spell cast by a Cleric of the Giving Tree’s effective character level. A Giving Tree who uses the Ultimate Gift may not be Resurrected or Reincarnated, but may be Raised as normal. Giving Trees view getting themselves resurrected as not showing enough commitment to self-sacrifice, while they perceive issues with reincarnation's tendency to bring bring them back in forms that are unfamiliar to the allies who count on them.

PLAYING A GIVING TREE
With abilities that key off of engaging the enemy in melee and helping allies, Giving Trees need to be in the thick of things, sticking as closely as possible to the largest group of allies who are not hanging back at range.
Combat: Using Goad along with the various Strike abilities, a Giving Tree is an opportunistic counter-puncher in combat. He needs to be close enough to help his allies, and deep enough into the fight for his best abilities to come online.
Advancement: Because nearly one half of the Giving Trees abilities relate to Attacks of Opportunity, many Giving Trees will invest in Combat Reflexes, or Insightful Reflexes, and Lunging Strike, along with a DEX-boosting item. Feats, such as Combat Expertise, that increase defensive fighting efficiency are also popular choices. While not specifically proscribed from drawing blood in others, many will also choose Subduing Strike as a way of demonstrating their commitment to non-violence against others. Finally, some Giving Trees invest feats in Devoted Spirit or Iron Heart maneuvers and stances, to better overcome adversity.
Resources: As a tight-knit group devoted to helping others, Giving Trees can always count on each other for any shelter, food, or healing they might need. Most, but not all, Good-aligned churches will provide curative potions, even wands, to Giving Trees at cost, and will give a compassionate discount of 10% should a Giving Tree be brought to them for a Raise Dead.

GIVING TREES IN THE WORLD
”I’ll tell you, I never saw anyone take punishment like he did and just keep coming back. That was the crazy part: he kept coming back for more! Saved my bacon against those hobgobbos, that’s for sure.” - Ragnar Wolfen, Barbarian

Because they are almost single-mindedly devoted to helping others rather than themselves, Giving Trees are often made welcome where they travel. Innkeepers are happy to have them spend a night under their roof for free, on the theory that the Giving Trees will repay that kindness without thought at a moment’s need.
Daily Life: A day spent in quiet contemplation is a day squandered, as no immediate benefit to others was gained by the solitude. When not adventuring, Giving Trees are often found helping the poor or the infirm, possibly getting together to organize a free soup kitchen in times of famine.
Notables: Silverleaf was among the first non-Druids to become a Giving Tree. Her background as a Spirit Shaman gave her insights into threats from beyond the Prime Material Plane.
Organizations: The Giving Trees themselves form a tight-knit organization, promoting altruism in others via their own tireless self-sacrifice.

NPC Reaction
Giving Trees are welcome in any community not dedicated toward selfish goals, and are often actively sought companions on the battlefield. Selfish and/or evil communities will often try to take advantage of a Giving Tree's generous disposition, but most Giving Trees are perceptive enough to see through these motives.

GIVING TREES IN THE GAME
With a Giving Tree in the game, party members rarely need to split the burden of providing healing. This frees a party Cleric up for more offensive-minded maneuvers, allows the party Druid to more readily summon creatures to the battlefield, and generally improves the damage output for the rest of the group as they have less reason to hold back spells in reserve.
Adaptation: Almost any campaign setting should be able to utilize a Giving Tree with little adaptation. If your campaign has a Good-aligned church that's strongly tied to the ideas of preserving beauty - like Sune in the Forgotten Realms - a sect of that clergy makes an intriguing foil to the Giving Tree, whose members often damage their own CHA, and thus their beauty and magnetism, to help allies.
Encounters: Long-standing, Good-aligned kingdoms probably have at least one Giving Tree on retainer as a healer for the ruler. That Giving Tree could easily be sent out with a diplomatic mission trying to avert a conflict between kingdoms.

Sample Encounter

EL 11: Talks have broken down between the Earl of Greystone and the Duke of Dottingham. The party has been asked by the Earl to obtain Silverleaf's help in resolving the conflict without undue bloodshed.


Silverleaf
NG/F/Aasimar/Spirit Shaman 6/Giving Tree 4
Init +2, Senses: Listen +18, Spot +6
Languages: Common, Celestial
------------------------------------------------
AC: 24, touch 24, flat-footed 15
hp: 69 (10 HD)
Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +11
------------------------------------------------
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee
Base Atk: +7, Grp +8
Atk Options: Longspear +1(+9, 1d8+2, 20/x3, Reach), Grasping Pole +1 (+9, 1d6+1[S], 20/x2, Reach)
Combat Gear: Longspear +1, Grasping Pole +1, +1 Mithral Full-Plate, Amulet of Natural Armor +1
Spells Prepared: 0- Detect Poison, Guidance, Resistance; 1st- Endure Elements, Detect Snares & Pits, Entangle, Obscuring Mist; 2nd- Barkskin, Resist Energy, Summon Swarm; 3rd- Neutralize Poison, Wind Wall
Supernatural Abilities: Chastise Spirits, Follow The Guide, Ghost Warrior, Healing Gift, Restoring Gift
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Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 19
SQ: Aura of Good, Spirit Guide, Wild Empathy, Detect Spirits, Blessing of the Spirits, Protective Strike, Provoking Strike, +2 Natural Armor, Take One For the Team
Feats: Alertness (b), Nimbus of Light, Goad, Stigmata, Diehard (b), Combat Reflexes
Skills: Concentration +8, Diplomacy +16, Heal +14, Listen +18, Sense Motive +8
Possessions: 10x Potion of Vigor

[fireinakasha]

The Sword and Soul



"How could I know fear? I will never be alone, and I will never lose that which is dearest to me. Your threats are meaningless, to me." - Mellisan Touri, Champion of Trithereon

It is common among good-aligned individuals to find at least a begrudged respect for certain elements of life and conduct - namely devotion, sacrifice, friendship, and determination. Paragons of righteousness usually take these elements to extremes; clerics devote their every moment to their faith, martyrs give up their lives to further worthwhile causes, sacred warriors stand firm against forces that would hurt their wards, and always these champions of good remain unflinching even in the face of impossible odds.
Sometimes, these heroes stand alone, while others scoff at their willingness to lose everything for those who wouldn't return the favor. Sometimes, these heroes stand at the head of a vast army of like-minded individuals. And sometimes, two heroes who share the same faith and view of justice take up arms together and begin to function as a single, glorious instrument of right. These two are the Sword and Soul.
Frequently, the Sword and Soul is referred to as a single individual. Although it could be argued that this is no misnomer - that indeed, the Sword and Soul is for all intents one single entity - the Sword and Soul is actually the result of two individual's dedication and determination to bring light to the darkness. By sacrificing their earthly form, the Soul cleaves to and strengthens the Sword's every blow, and by devoting themselves to their shared cause, the Sword renders the Soul's sacrifice meaningful.
Although many less selfless individuals consider the relationship of the Sword and Soul to be at best claustrophobic, there is rarely ever any divide between the two who go down this path. The Sword and Soul are of like mind, and almost always approach situations in similar fashions, and as they grow in strength, so to does the strength of their bond. Because of the closeness of their friendship, it is not uncommon for the Sword and Soul to be siblings or lovers, but regardless of their interactions, the Sword and Soul will always agree on one thing: good and right must prevail, no questions, no compromises.

BECOMING A SWORD AND SOUL
Becoming a Sword and Soul is a very easy task for any good-aligned hero - clerics, paladins, rangers, duskblades, sorcerers, bards, druids, and wizards, among many others, can all meet the requirements without multiclassing, and they all can benefit from the abilities of the class. Other characters, such as rogues, fighters, monks, martial adepts, and barbarians can also easily enter into the Sword and Soul simply by taking one level of a spell-casting class, and still gain meaning from its abilities. Hexblades and other classes that cannot be of good alignments rarely ever find this class to be worth losing their core abilities. The hardest part of becoming a Sword and Soul, however, is finding another individual who you trust, who trusts you, who you share similar ideals and values with, and who is also desirous of the benefits of the class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any good; both partners must be of the same alignment
Feats: Iron Will
Saves: Must have one saving throw with a base bonus of +5
Spells: Must be able to cast 1st level spells or infusions
Special: Partners must take levels of this class concurrently; additionally, the partner who becomes the Soul must meet the requirements for the soulguide template (see below)

Class Skills
The Sword and Soul's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wisdom), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis)
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Code of Conduct, Sacred Warrior, Shared Souls|-

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Compassionate Touch, Deny the Wretched|+1 existing class level

3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|One Mind|+1 existing class level

4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|One Action|+1 existing class level

5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Smite Evil (1/day), Improved Shared Souls|-

6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Cleansing Touch, One Body|+1 existing class level

7th|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|One Will|+1 existing class level

8th|

+6

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|One Voice|+1 existing class level

9th|

+6

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Soul Ward|+1 existing class level

10th|

+7

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Smite Evil (2/day), One Soul|-[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Sword and Soul does not gain any bonus armor or weapon or proficiencies.

Sword and Soul: In order to gain their powers, a Sword and Soul bind their souls to each other in a divine ritual, with the Soul becoming a close spirit guide and companion to the Sword, and the Sword becoming the vessel and hands by which the Soul can move through and experience the world.
The ritual takes one hour to complete. It must be performed in a sanctified location (such as a temple or holy grounds), and requires material components worth 3,000gp. Both partners must be willing to undergo the ritual, and not be under any duress or magic compulsion. During the ritual, one partner identifies herself as the Sword (and is referred to as such in the class ability descriptions), and the other as the Soul (and is likewise referred to as such). Upon completion of the ritual, the Soul's body is destroyed, the Sword becomes his phylactery, and the Soul gains the soulguide template (see below).
From then on, the Sword and Soul are a part of each other and they are inseparable, in both a metaphorical and literal sense. Neither the Sword nor the Soul can ever travel more than one mile per class level from the other - if one partner is unwilling to go in a certain direction, the other cannot go far in that direction either (although the Sword and Soul rarely, if ever, suffer from navigational disagreements). If one of the pair is forced outside of this radius or to another plane, either by magic or more mundane means, they lose all benefits of their Sword and Soul class abilities until they are adjacent to one another again. As an exception to this, however, if the Soul is destroyed by being reduced to 0 hit points, the Sword retains full use of her class features, and the Soul reappears at full health in the Sword's square in 2d6 days.
If the Soul is ever reincarnated into a living form, or if the Sword dies, he loses the soulguide template and all of its special qualities immediately. At any time, the Sword and soul can repeat the binding ritual. By doing so, they can chose to reverse roles, with the Sword becoming the Soul (and gaining the soulguide template) and the Soul becoming the Sword (and losing the soulguide template, if they still have it). If one of a Sword and Soul pairing loses their partner irreversibly, they can perform the ritual with a new partner who has at least one level of Sword and Soul. However, if the partners are of different Sword and Soul levels, they both only receive the benefit of the class features available to the one with the lower Sword and Soul level.

Soulguide Template

Spoiler

Show

A soulguide appears as it did in life, only translucent and glowing, with a permanently serene look to its facial features. It usually floats a foot or two off the ground, and is always accompanied by another creature with whom it has a close personal bond. Although a soulguide is technically undead, its persistence after death is granted by sacred divine power, and therefore it does not gain many of the strengths and weaknesses of necromantic undead.

Creating a Soulguide
"Soulguide" is an acquired template that can be added to any good-aligned creature with class levels. The creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) must have Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of at least 6. Additionally, the creature must have another living creature to which it can be soulbound (referred to hereafter as the soulbound creature).

A soulguide uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type
The creature gains the incorporeal subtype. Its size is unchanged. The creature is considered to be of both its original type and the deathless type (see the Book of Exalted Deeds) for the purpose of determining the effects of spells and abilities.

Hit Dice
All current and future Hit Dice are determined by the creature's racial hit dice and class levels. The creature loses any bonus hit points derived from their constitution bonus, but gains a number of bonus hit points per Hit Dice equal to the Charisma modifier of their soulbound creature.

Speed
Soulguides have a fly speed of 20 feet, unless the base creature has a higher fly speed, with perfect maneuverability. They lose any other forms of movement.

Armor Class
The soulguide has no natural armor bonus, but it gains a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma modifier or +1, whichever is higher.

Attack
A soulguide retains all the attacks of the base creature, but those relying on physical contact have no effect on creatures that are not incorporeal.

Full Attack
A soulguide retains all the attacks of the base creature, but those relying on physical contact have no effect on creatures that are not incorporeal.

Damage
Against incorporeal creatures, a soulguide uses the base creature's damage values. Against non-incorporeal creatures, the soulguide cannot deal physical damage at all, but can use any special attacks that do not deal physical damage and do not rely on physical contact.

Special Attacks
A soulguide retains all the special attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect creatures that are not incorporeal.

Special Qualities

Deathless (Ex): A soulguide has no discernible anatomy, and as such does not take extra damage from critical hits, sneak attack, or any other damage that would not function on a creature without discernible anatomy. A soulguide is immune to ability drain, damage to its physical ability scores, as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. A soulguide is immune to poison, sleep effects, disease, and death affects, with the exception of poisons and disease that affect ghosts or the undead (see the Ghostwalk campaign option). Unlike normal undead, a soulguide can still suffer energy drain. Additionally, they are healed by positive energy and harmed by negative energy, as if they were living. A soulguide is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save, unless it is a negative energy effect, works on objects, is harmless, or specifically states that it can affect ghosts or the undead. A soulguide uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks. A soulguide is not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed. A soulguide is not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities, but resurrection and true resurrection return the soulguide to life and remove the soulguide template from the base creature. A soulguide does not need to eat, sleep, drink, or breath. A soulguide does not gain any of the other traits or features of undead or deathless creatures, except that it is affected by spells as if it were deathless (see the deathless type).

Ghost Touch Vulnerability (Ex): Whenever a soulguide is struck by a critical hit, sneak attack (or similar), or skirmish attack from a weapon with the ghost touch property, it must make a Will save against a DC equal to the damage it took or be stunned for one round. Multiple attacks do not add to the duration of the stunned effect.

Incorporeal Form (Su): If a soulguide occupies the same square as another creature, neither it nor the other creature take any penalties from squeezing.

Rejuvination (Su): So long as its soulbound creature is alive, a "destroyed" soulguide will reappear at full health in the soulbound creature's square in 2d6 days. This ability is powered by godly will, and as such cannot be interrupted by any means other than killing the soulbound creature.

Turn Resilience (Ex): Evil clerics can turn soulguides, as if they were good clerics. Good clerics can rebuke and bolster soulguides, as if they were evil clerics. Soulguides cannot be commanded or destroyed by turn/rebuke undead attempts. A soulguide gains a bonus to its turn resistance equal to its Wisdom modifier (if positive).

Shape Appearance (Ex): A soulguide can, at will as a move action, chose the appearance of its clothing. It can form its clothing into whatever form it sees fit, emulating robes, armor, or any other type of apparel. Regardless of the clothing it forms, it does not gain any bonuses or penalties to any check by using this ability.

Soulbound Anchor (Ex): A soulguide who is in an anti-magic zone does not wink out as a normal incorporeal creature would. Instead, it can only use its actions to move, unless it occupies the same square as its soulbound creature. Any effect that would normally force an incorporeal creature to manifest as corporeal instead imposes this penalty on the soulguide for the duration of the effect.

Abilities
Same as the base creature, except that the soulguide has no constitution or strength score.

Skills
Same as the base creature.

Enviroment
As the base creature.

Organization
Gang (2-4)

Challenge Rating
Same as the base creature +1

Treasure
None.

Alignment
Any good.

Level Adjustment
Same as the base creature.

Equipment and Gear
When the base creature gains the soulguide template, no gear or equipment that the creature possesses becomes incorporeal with it.

Code of Conduct: A Sword and Soul must be of good alignment and loses all class abilities if they ever willingly commit an evil act. Additionally, her code requires that she help ease the suffering of others, punish those who harm or threaten innocents, and seek revenge for those innocents she learns to have been harmed in any way. Furthermore, a Sword and Soul can never willingly bring harm to their partner.
The Sword and Soul must also constantly pledge herself to a noble cause, as with a kensai's oath of service. However, unlike an oath of service, the Sword and Soul's pledged cause cannot be passive (such as swearing to defend a king) but rather must be a goal that can be actively pursued and eventually completed. Some examples of such a cause may include: returning a stolen artifact to a good-aligned church; defending a village from the attacks of murderous bandits; reclaiming land stolen from farmers by a greedy baron; or other acts of good. When she has taken up a cause, she must act directly and consistently to fulfill her pledge, provided such actions do not violate her code of conduct in other ways. If she completes a task she has pledged herself to, the Sword and Soul has a month to find another cause to pledge herself to. If she goes more than a month without pledging herself to a new cause, she loses her class abilities from her levels in Sword and Soul (and a Soul loses their soulguide template) and must seek atonement. She may pledge herself to more than one cause at once, but must actively pursue the completion of both.
The Sword and Soul may associate with and accept help from evil characters in the name of completing her pledged task, but if she witnesses or becomes aware of evil actions by these characters during their time together, she is duty-bound to seek retribution.
If the Sword and Soul is forced to commit evil acts, or otherwise violate her code of conduct or fail her pledged cause, by magic or some other means, she does not lose her class features. However, she must immediately pledge to seek revenge on the character or organization that caused the violation.
If a Sword and Soul has levels in another class that imposes a code of conduct, oath, or similar limitation, they may replace that code of conduct or oath with this one, retaining their abilities from that class so long as they follow their Sword and Soul code.

Sacred Warrior: When calculating their base attack bonus for the purpose of feat or prestige class requirements, or the number of attacks allowed in a full attack action, the Sword and Soul treats the base attack bonus from her levels in Sword and Soul as equal to her Sword and Soul level. This does not increase her base attack bonus for any other purpose. For example, a Paladin 5 / Sword and Soul 1 qualifies for feats and prestige classes that require a base attack bonus of +6, and she may make an additional attack at -5 in a full attack action, but she still only has a base attack bonus of +5.
If the Sword and Soul has levels in a class that cannot be advanced after multiclassing, such as paladin or monk, the Sword and Soul may continue to gain levels in that class after taking levels in Sword and Soul.

Shared Souls (Ex): A Sword can interact with and affect the Soul as if the Sword were incorporeal, and a Soul can interact with and affect the Sword as if the Soul were corporeal. This means that they can push and pull each other, use abilities that rely on physical touch on each other, and cast spells on each other without difficulty. This ability does not extend to their gear (unless the gear has been enchanted with the ghost touch property).
Any spell that a Sword and Soul casts on their partner automatically overcomes their partner's spell resistance (if any). Additionally, whenever a Sword and Soul's partner would be included in the radius of a spell she casts or ability she uses, she or he can choose to exclude their partner from its effects.

Spells: At every level except 1st, 5th, and 10th, a Sword and Soul gains spells or infusions per day (and known, if applicable) as if they had also gained a level in whatever class they belonged to before that granted spellcasting or infusions. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one class that granted spellcasting or infusions before they became a Sword and Soul, they must decide to which class they add each level of Sword and Soul for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Compassionate Touch (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Sword and Soul gains the ability to heal others with the touch of their hands.
For a Sword, this ability functions identically the paladin's lay on hands ability, using her Sword and Soul level to determine the effects. If the Sword has lay on hands from another class, her levels in Sword and Soul stack with that class for the purpose of determining the amount of health this ability can heal.
A Soul instead uses their compassionate touch ability to instill others with some of their divine spirit, easing their suffering and helping them distance themselves from the weakness of the flesh. A number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier, the Soul may touch another creature as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. For a number of days equal to his Sword and Soul level, that creature does not need to eat or drink, and loses any penalties imposed by starvation and dehydration. Additionally, for 24 hours the creature gains the Sword and Soul's Wisdom modifier as a sacred bonus on its saving throws against fear effects, poison, and disease. This ability does not rely on physical touch.
At 5th level, a Soul can give up one of his daily uses of compassionate touch to add a value equal to his Charisma modifier to the Sword's daily allowance of healing. Likewise, a 5th level Sword can give up an amount of her daily allowance of healing equal to her Charisma modifier to give the Soul another daily use of compassionate touch.

Deny the Wretched (Ex): As the connection between the Sword and Soul improves, so to does their ability to aid each other in battle against the forces of evil. At 2nd level, the Soul learns to use his incorporeal form to shield the Sword from evil, and the Sword learns how to project her own spirit to preserve Soul from evil magic attacks.
The Sword gains a deflection modifier to her AC equal to the Soul's Charisma modifier or +1 (whichever is higher) against attacks from evil creatures, or creatures with the evil subtype. This bonus stacks with other deflection bonuses.
The Soul gains a bonus to his spell resistance equal to the Sword's Wisdom modifier against any spell cast by an evil creature, or creatures with the evil subtype. If the Soul does not have spell resistance from another source, he instead gains spell resistance equal to 10 + half the Sword's Sword and Soul level (rounded down) + the Sword's Wisdom modifier against spells cast by evil creatures, or creatures with the evil subtype.
The Sword and Soul only gain these benefits when they are adjacent to each other or occupying the same square.

One Mind (Su): Starting at 3rd level, so long as they are on the same plane, the Sword and Soul can communicate telepathically with each other. Because this communication does not occur through conscious thought, but instead through the mutual spiritual space shared by both their souls, effects that would allow others to eavesdrop on their telepathic conversations do not function with this ability.
At 10th level, this communication becomes so strong that the Sword and Soul literally share one another's senses. They can see what their partner sees, hear what their partner hears, feel what they feel, and so on, as if they themselves were experiencing it. The Sword and Soul gains any senses that their partner has - such as darkvision, blindsense, and so on - as long as they are both conscious. Unfortunately, this also means that effects that target the senses of one partner - such as gaze attacks and illusions with sensory components - also affect the other partner.

One Action (Ex): At 4th level, whenever a Sword and Soul enter into combat together, they both roll for initiative and calculate the result as normal, but they both use whichever of the two results is highest.
Additionally, whenever a Sword and Soul begins a movement in the same square as their partner, their partner may move with them, provided they have a form of movement that would allow them to move in that way (for example, if the Soul flew straight up, the Sword would not be able to move with him unless she also possessed a flight speed). Both partners provoke attacks of opportunity for the movement as normal, and both may attempt tumble checks as normal. This does not allow the partner to move more than their normal move speed allows. They may chose to stop at any point in the movement, and they can be stopped by any effect that would interrupt their movement. Regardless of how far they move with this ability, the partner cannot move any distance on their next turn.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day at 5th level, and twice per day at 10th, a Sword may smite evil. This ability functions as the paladin ability of the same name, using a character's Sword and Soul levels to determine the bonus damage. If the Sword has uses of smite evil from another class, her levels in Sword and Soul stack with her levels of that class for determining the amount of damage done.
Once per day at 5th level, and twice per day at 10th level, when the Sword smites evil, the Soul may, as an immediate action, wrap some of his incorporeal form around the Sword's weapon. If he does so, the weapon counts as having the ghost touch, disrupting, and holy properties for the attack, and the Sword gains a sacred bonus to this attack equal to the Soul's Wisdom modifier. If the smite evil attempt misses or otherwise fails, his daily use is still spent. In order to use this ability, the Soul must be adjacent to, or occupying the same square as, the Sword.

Improved Shared Soul (Su): Starting at 5th level, whenever the Sword and Soul are within 20 feet of one another, they are both immune to fear, confusion, and insanity spells and effects. Additionally, both the Sword and the Soul become immune to any effects that would cause them to harm one another, such as magical compulsions. This does not render them immune to all forms of magical compulsion, but if a creature who is controlling one of the Sword and Soul orders them to take any action that would harm their partner, the effect lending the control immediately ends.

Cleansing Touch (Su): Starting at 6th level, the abilities of a Sword and Soul to heal the suffering of others increases.
A Sword may use her compassionate touch class feature to heal ability damage, expending two points of her daily healing total to remove one point of ability damage.
A Soul may use one of his daily uses of compassionate touch to purge supernatural ailments from the target, as if by the remove curse spell, using a caster level equal to his character level.

One Body (Su): Starting at 6th level, the bond of the Sword and Soul grows to the point that their survival becomes intertwined. At will as an immediate action, a Sword and Soul can choose to lose any number of hit points, so long as this loss does not reduce them to 0 or fewer hit points. Their partner immediately regains a number of hit points equal to this amount. This can only replenish their current hit points up to their maximum hit point value; any hit points in excess of their maximum are lost. The partners must be adjacent to each other or occupying the same square in order to use this ability.

One Will (Su): At 7th level, whenever a Sword and Soul makes a saving throw, their partner also makes a saving throw, and if either saving throw would succeed, the Sword and Soul is considered to have succeeded at the saving throw. This can be used for any effect that requires either one or both partners to make a saving throw; if both have to make a saving throw, they both use the highest result. If only one partner has to make a saving throw, a failure on both rolls does not mean that the other partner is also affected. This ability only functions when the partners are within 30 feet of each other.

One Voice (Su): Whenever a Sword and Soul of 8th level or higher casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability that would affect themselves, they may choose to have the spell or spell-like ability affect their partner as well. Their partner receives the effects of the spell even if the spell would not normally function on them (for instance, an Aasimar could receive the benefits of an enlarge person spell). The partners must be adjacent to each other or occupying the same square to use this ability, but the effects of the spell or spell-like ability continue to function if they later move out of this range.

Soul Ward (Su): At 9th level, the shared fervor and close bond of a Sword and Soul manifests as a maddening wall of defense. The Soul casts the shadows of his incorporeal form wildly across the Sword, the Sword turns into a storm of blades that confound and bewilder those who would threaten the Soul, and their actions are so natural and coordinated that observers find it difficult to believe they are truly two individuals.
Whenever the Sword and Soul are adjacent to each other, or occupying the same square, they gain several benefits.
First, once per round as a free action, when someone makes a melee attack against the Sword, the Soul may transpose himself between the attacker and the Sword, causing the attack to be automatically redirected to the Soul. If the Soul is not adjacent to this attacker, but the Sword is, the Soul may move into the Sword's square as part of this action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Secondly, the Soul does not provoke attacks of opportunity for casting spells, and anyone who tries to attack him while he is casting a spell provokes an attack of opportunity from the Sword. If the Sword is not adjacent to this target, but the Soul is, the Sword may move into the Soul's square as part of this attack. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Finally, if the Sword and Soul are adjacent to one another or occupy the same square, they gain concealment. If they occupy the same square, they also cannot be flanked.

One Soul (Su): At 10th level, the Sword and Soul reach the pinnacle of their connection to each other, infusing one another with their different powers and energy, and granting them the ability to pull back the other when their life force starts to slip away. The Sword becomes immune to death magic and effects. The Soul becomes immune to mind affecting spells and abilities. If both partners die, any effect that would return one of them to life - such as raise dead or resurrection - also returns the other to life in an adjacent square, if possible
Additionally, once per week, a Sword and Soul can bring a dead partner back to life, as if by true resurrection, using a caster level equal to her character level. This once per week use is shared by both partners - if the Soul uses it to resurrect the Sword, then the Sword cannot use it to resurrect the Soul for another week. If the Soul is resurrected with this ability, he returns as a soulguide instead of as a living creature. Also, so long as the weekly use of this ability has not been spent, the Soul does not lose the soulguide template when the Sword dies.

EX-SWORD AND SOULS
In the event that the Soul no longer has the soulguide template, or if one or both of the partners cease to be good, or if one or both of the partners violate their code of conduct, they immediately lose access to all of the abilities conferred by their levels in Sword and Soul, can no longer gain levels of Sword and Soul, and the Soul loses the soulguide template (if they had not already). If their alignment returns to good, and if they atone for any transgressions, the ritual can be repeated and they can regain use of their class abilities.

EX-SWORD AND SOULS AND BLACKGUARDS
Sword and Souls who have become evil add their levels in Sword and Soul to their paladin levels (if any) when determining the benefits they gain upon becoming a blackguard. Additionally, if two characters with identical evil alignments who each have at least five levels of ex-Sword and Soul take their first level of blackguard concurrently, they can repeat a profane version of the ritual, regaining the Soulguide template and all of the class abilities of their Sword and Soul levels. Any sacred bonuses granted by their Sword and Soul levels become profane bonuses, and any alignment-based abilities, such as smite evil or deny the wretched, have their function reversed to work against good creatures. A fallen Sword and Soul who regains their abilities is not bound by the Sword and Soul's code of conduct, but the forces that grant them their powers are also not as strong; in order to maintain use of their Sword and Soul powers while fallen, the Sword and Soul must repeat a lesser version of the binding ritual once per month, or lose the use of their class features and the soulguide template. This lesser ritual requires material components of a value equal to 200gp + 100gp per level of Sword and Soul.

PLAYING A SWORD AND SOUL
Team work and communication between players are the key to a successful Sword and Soul.
Combat: Stay close to your partner as you move across the battlefield, and capitalize on the advantages you gain from your proximity. Swords typically focus on engaging in melee combat with the opponent, while the Soul remains nearby and provides back up in the form of spellcasting. Because of your One Action and Soul Ward class features, you have an incredibly ability to coordinate your movements in combat, and you should use these abilities to place yourself in the most advantageous positions possible.
Advancement: Characters who chose to be the Sword in this partnership benefit the most from feats and abilities that improve their combat abilities, as well as those that improve the accuracy and potency of their smite attack. Characters who chose to be the Soul will derive the most benefit from feats and abilities that build upon their spellcasting. Remember - you lose out on some spellcasting power by taking this prestige class, but you have the advantage of being able to cast your spells from an incorporeal form, and with a very adept body guard to keep you safe while you do so.
Resources: Because of their constant quest to bring light to the world, Sword and Souls usually have very good relationships with good-aligned communities and religious organizations. Such groups are usually more than willing to assist Sword and Souls, as they know that any resources they invest in the Sword and Soul will be more than recompensed by the good the Sword and Soul will do for them.

SWORD AND SOULS IN THE WORLD
"A fine pair, indeed, and extremely vital to our work, though I wonder who they are devoted to more; our ideals, or each other." - Tixam Brin, Chancellor of the Sorcerers of Bahamut

Sword and Souls are usually seen in the best of lights by others; their selflessness and dedication to doing good is on par with a paladin, but is not so thoroughly bound to lawful behavior and what some may perceive to be a humorless existence. There are those, however, that are doubtful of the sanity of the Sword and Soul - after all, it takes a very specific kind of mindset to be able to share your every breathing moment with another individual. There are also a few organizations and people with more esoteric and/or fanatical views that see the Sword and Soul as nothing more than glorified necromancy and slavery.
Daily Life: Because of their code of conduct, Sword and Souls are rarely ever stationary. Much of their life is spent on the road, routing out evil and searching for noble causes. Those Sword and Souls who do keep a home base usually pick somewhere near a temple dedicated to their patron deity, and even when they are home, they will spend their days doing small acts of charity and kindness; aiding the temple healers, reprimanding bullies, or feeding the hungry (or, in the case of the Soul, saving the hungry the trouble of eating).
Notables: Although their names are lost to time, legends tell us that the first Sword and Soul partnership were two brothers serving as guardians of a small temple and orphanage in the mountains. The temple stood over a rich mineral vein, and so it was inevitable that one of the many nearby warlords would eventually move to claim the mountains as his own and destroy the temple. Using tactics and a great deal of skill and cooperation, the guardian brothers were able to successfully repeal many of the assaults on the temple. Finally, in an attempt to break the resolve of the guardians, one of the warlords sent an assassin to poison one of the brothers. As the brother lay dying and the warlord's troops marched on the now nearly defenseless temple grounds, the clerics of the temple devised a ritual that would allow the felled guardian to continue his fight alongside his brother, even after his body perished. Thus was born the first Sword and Soul, and with their newfound strength they were able to single-handedly repeal the siege so effectively that the warlords of the region were forced to accept the temple as being its own sovereign state that they could not claim.
Organizations: Although there is no one organization devoted to the practices of the Sword and Soul, any good-aligned organization of spellcaster may have a Sword and Soul among their ranks. Typically religious organizations are the most common choice for a Sword and Soul, but just as many can derive great companionship and aid from virtuous arcane cabals, compassionate druid groves, and righteous psionic alliances.

NPC Reaction
The choice to willingly sacrifice your physical body for an external cause will always provoke strong reactions from others, whether they are supportive, bewildered, or offended. If nothing else, NPCs will usually respect the commitment of the Sword and Soul, although those who have deep personal convictions against necromancy are more likely to be frightened or angered by the path that you have chosen.

SWORD AND SOULS IN THE GAME
Their ability to combine their actions, add to each other's strengths, and shore up one another's weaknesses means that a Sword and Soul pair are almost worth three men when they are near each other. They will have an easier time against solitary enemies than two characters normally would, but this strength is fragile and wholly dependent on their proximity to one another; a Sword and Soul separated from their partner can easily become the weakest link in the party.
Adaptation: By removing the alignment constraints, the Sword and Soul could work very well as members of a group of necromancers, binding the souls of the deceased to them in order to improve their defenses. In a similar vein, a group of lawful defenders guarding the tombs of their people's ancestors would make ideal candidates for Sword and Soul.
Additionally, by replacing the spellcasting requirements and progression with the equivalents for psionic manifestation, the Sword and Soul can be turned into a pair who combine the strengths of their minds to overcome great evil.
Encounters: Sword and Souls will often fill the same roll as paladins, good rangers, and other warriors fighting for justice and right. They will help good parties with information and their strength of arms, and against evil parties they will prove to be a daunting opponent.

Sample Encounters
Mellisan Touri and Kedvil Arrolk are childhood sweethearts turned warriors. Growing up in the same village and always by one another's sides, their eventual marriage to each other took no one by surprise. However, the world was not as kind to them as they were to one-another; greedy land owners picked apart their family's estate inch by inch, corrupt guards abused their friends, and heartless theives knifed murdered their son in an alleyway just to make a few copper. Finally, disgusted with all of the ills in the world, they bravely marched hand-in-hand into a new phase of their lives - meting out justice and righteousness by the tip of the sword.
Their crusading life was equally plagued though, this time by Kedvil's poor health and weak constitution. In the sanctuary of their home town, he had always been prone to frequent colds, but exposed to the world and its myriad curses and diseases, his body began to waste away at an alarming rate. So when the pair learned of a holy ritual that would not only deliver Kedvil from the weakness of the flesh, but also bring the lovers closer to one another than they ever thought possible, they leaped at the opportunity.
If you need a heroic NPC for your campaign, then the path of the Sword and Soul has proven perfect for Mellisan and Kedvil. Using their newfound powers, they exuberantly and joyously spend every waking moment helping the world (and any good PCs) in any way they can.
If you need a villain, then things took a turn for the worst. A cruel and vindictive warlord discerned the source of the pair's strength, and used this knowledge to destroy them. Trapping Kedvil's soul in a gem, he separated the inseparable pair. Mellisan, driven mad with loneliness and despair, abandoned all of her virtue, doing anything she could to get her husband back, and murdering anyone who got in her way. When she did finally return Kedvil to her side, she was corrupted beyond salvation by rage and bloodlust. Kedvil, furious that their former crusading friends had done nothing to prevent this, and a little insane himself from his imprisonment, found himself quickly adopting his partner's twisted view of the world.

Exalted Sword and Soul

Spoiler

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EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Mellisan Touri (Sword)
NG female Human Fighter 3/Cleric 2/Sword and Soul 7
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Kedvil Arrok (Soul)
NG male human (soulguide) Sorcerer 5/Sword and Soul 7
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Fallen Sword and Soul

Spoiler

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EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Mellisan Touri (Sword)
CE female Human Fighter 3/ Cleric 2/Fallen Sword and Soul 7/Blackguard 2
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Kedvil Arrok (Soul)
CE male human (soulguide) Sorcerer 6/Fallen Sword and Soul 7/Blackguard 1
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Derjuin]

EXALTED ASCENDANT



"When I say I am doing this for your own good, I really do mean it."

The Exalted Ascendant is a holy warrior whose selflessness, Deity-given gifts and connection to the divine enhance his or her ability to protect and bring about peace and sanctity to others; however, he or she does not try to convert others to his or her own faith - that is not the call he or she hears. It is the call of a defender and protector of others, regardless of their beliefs. He or she may feel it is in her duty to attempt to help Evil creatures atone and find peace with Goodness, however.

BECOMING AN EXALTED ASCENDANT
Exalted Ascendants are holy warriors whose power comes from gifts given by beings of pure Good; any character that has the proper divine inspiration, combat knowledge and selflessness may take up the mantle of the Exalted Ascendant.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Good
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Diplomacy +9
Feats: Combat Expertise, any three Exalted Feats
Class Feature: Smite (any non-good)
Special: The character cannot have sworn themselves to Peace, Nonviolence, or Poverty.

Class Skills
The Exalted Ascendant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Ride (Dex), Search (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d12

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Repentance 1/day, Exalted Code, Special Mount

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Bonus Exalted Feat, Reverence

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Repentance 2/day, Divine Sight

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Bonus Exalted Feat, Mettle

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Repentance 3/day, Altruistic Defense

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Bonus Exalted Feat, Bar the Way

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Repentance 4/day, Exalted Defense, Intervene 3/day

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Bonus Exalted Feat, Ascend to the Heavens

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Repentance 5/day, Indomitable Will

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Ascendant Smite, Exalted Body, Intervene 5/day[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An Exalted Ascendant gains proficiency with no weapons or armor.

Exalted Code: The Exalted Ascendant swears an oath to the powers of Good upon attaining first level in this class; he or she may never commit an Evil act willingly and willfully. He or she may not break any vows made (through the various Vow feats or otherwise) and cannot kill an intelligent creature that surrenders.

The Exalted Code replaces any other codes of morality the character may have had beforehand, like the various Paladin codes that limit him or her to Law or Chaos. Because the character dedicates himself or herself to the high goals of the Greater Good, those beings that grant him or her power are more lenient to any swaying of the character's alignment on the Law and Chaos axis. If an Exalted Ascendant breaks his or her Exalted Code, he or she loses all benefits of the class as well as any other classes he or she has that has a morality code. He or she may atone for her violations though the atonement spell and by performing good deeds and penance. If the Exalted Ascendant atones, he or she regains all abilities and spells she lost due to falling. He or she cannot atone and regain any Vows he or she may have lost, however.

Exalted Ascendants may not associate with Evil characters willfully; however, he or she is still able to defend them in combat if he or she aims to capture or help the Evil character atone for misdeeds. He or she cannot force the character to atone, however.

Repentance (Su): The Exalted Ascendant may touch a creature with Intelligence 3 or higher as a standard action and attempt to force the creature into a meditative state; if the creature fails a Will save vs. a DC equal to 10 + the Exalted Ascendant's class level + the Exalted Ascendant's Charisma bonus, the creature becomes stunned for 1 round. During this time, the creature suffers no damage from attacks made against it, any spell or ability that causes any kind of damage or death effect instantly fails against it (and is dissipated if it lingers, such as Cloudkill), and the Exalted Ascendant may make a Diplomacy check against it by spending 1 round calmly speaking with the meditating creature. The Exalted Ascendant takes penalties to this Diplomacy check, as outlined in the table below.

{table=head]Enemy is...|Enemy's HD vs. Exalted Ascendant's total Level|Penalty
Neutral or Good|Fewer than|0
Evil|Fewer than|-10
Neutral or Good|Equal to or More|-10
Evil|Equal to or More|-20
Outsider (Evil)|Fewer than|-30
Outsider (Evil)|Equal to or More|-50[/table]

Enemies whose mood is successfully improved beyond hostility may surrender, apologize, drop in awe of the Exalted Ascendant or simply run away. They are not under any compulsion to help the Exalted Ascendant. Any enemy whose mood is successfully improved beyond hostility and is then attacked by the Exalted Ascendant or his or her allies immediately becomes hostile again, and cannot be affected by the same Exalted Ascendant's Repentance within 24 hours.

If the Exalted Ascendant manages to improve the mood of a creature, he or she gains a Sacred bonus to attacks equal to the number of Exalted feats he or she has. This bonus lasts for a number of hours equal to his or her Exalted Ascendant level, or until the Exalted Ascendant or his or her allies attack the creature.

The Exalted Ascendant can use Repentance once per day at 1st level, and gains another use of the ability at 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th levels.

Special Mount (Sp): The Exalted Ascendant's class levels stack with any Paladin levels the character may have for determining the characteristics of a Paladin's mount.

Bonus Exalted Feat: At 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th levels, the Exalted Ascendant gains a bonus Exalted feat. This bonus feat cannot include Vow of Nonviolence, Vow of Peace or Vow of Poverty; while the Exalted Ascendant will accommodate others who take these vows, he or she realizes that violence is sometimes necessary and that voluntary poverty limits his or her ability to defend others and fight evil.

Reverence (Ex): The Exalted Ascendant exudes radiance and beneficence, gifts granted by beings of pure Good. Beginning at 2nd level, whenever a creature with fewer HD than the Exalted Ascendant attacks him or her in melee, it must succeed on a Will save vs. a DC of (10 + the Exalted Ascendant's class level + the number of Exalted feats the Exalted Ascendant has) or receive a stacking -1 penalty to hit and damage with melee attacks. The save is made on the first attack only, with each other melee attack in the turn accruing a greater penalty. The penalty lasts for 1 round, and each round that the creature attacks the Exalted Ascendant requires a new save.

Divine Sight (Su): At 3rd level, the Exalted Ascendant's ability to detect both Evil and magical misdirection become a permanent effect of her divine power; so long as she has a single turn or smite attempt left, the Exalted Ascendant is constantly under the effects of a Detect Evil and True Sight spell.

Mettle (Su): An Exalted Ascendant's divine power allows him or her to shrug off the remnants of magic that would normally cling to him or her even after successfully saving. If an Exalted Ascendant makes a successful Fortitude or Will save that would normally reduce the effects of a spell, he or she suffers no ill effect at all. This only works for spells that say "Will Partial" or "Fortitude Partial".

Altruistic Defense (Ex): Altruism is one of the key traits of almost every Exalted Ascendant; beginning at 5th level, the Exalted Ascendant learns to apply this altruism to combat. If the Exalted Ascendant chooses to take Total Defense or fight using Improved Combat Expertise with a penalty of at least -6, he or she gains a bonus to Disarm attempts equal to the number of exalted feats he or she has. This bonus lasts for as long as the Exalted Ascendant chooses to take a penalty of -6 or greater with Improved Combat Expertise, or the Total Defense action. In addition, the Exalted Ascendant may, when fighting defensively or with a Combat Expertise penalty of any size, choose to make all attacks he or she makes into nonlethal attacks with no additional penalty.

If the Exalted Ascendant uses Altruistic Defense for at least 3 rounds before using Repentance, he or she reduces the penalty suffered to the Diplomacy check during Repentance by the number of Exalted feats the Exalted Ascendant has.

Bar the Way (Ex): The Exalted Ascendant aims to keep foes from attacking his or her allies, and learns how to keep enemies at bay. Beginning at 6th level, when an enemy's movement out of a square the Exalted Ascendant threatens provokes an attack of opportunity from him or her, he or she may choose to give up that attack and instead attempt to stop that enemy from moving. The Exalted Ascendant makes an attack of opportunity as normal, and add the number of Exalted feats he or she has to the damage. If he or she hits, the enemy must succeed on a Reflex check vs. a DC of 10 + the damage dealt (the attack does not actually inflict damage), or immediately halt as if he or she used up his or her move action for the round. Since the Exalted Ascendant uses Bar the Way instead of an attack of opportunity, he or she may only do so a number of times per round equal to the number of attacks of opportunity he or she is allowed each round.

Exalted Defense (Su): The Exalted Ascendant learns to channel his or her divine power into a boon to her awareness. At 7th level, the Exalted Ascendant may expend a divine spell slot, prepared divine spell, turn attempt or smite attempt as a swift to gain an Sacred bonus to AC equal to the number of Exalted feats he or she has. This bonus lasts for 1 round. If the character has the Mounted Combat feat, he or she may instead apply this bonus as a Morale bonus to Ride checks to replace her mount's AC.

Intervene (Ex): The pinnacle of Exalted Ascendant virtue is placing the lives of others before your own; at 7th level, the Exalted Ascendant may as an immediate action move twice her normal speed to intercept either a melee or ranged attack that is about to hit an ally. When intervening against ranged attacks, the Exalted Ascendant must move into line of fire between her enemy and her ally. When intervening against melee attacks, the Exalted Ascendant must move next to the ally about to be attacked. Any attack you Intervene against becomes instead aimed at you, with a -4 penalty. You do not receive a penalty to your AC, but you cannot fight defensively or use Combat Expertise to increase your AC during Intervene. This ability is usable 3 times per day at 7th level, and 5 times per day at 10th level.

Ascend to the Heavens (Sp): Using the gifts he or she has been given, the Exalted Ascendant gains the ability to manifest his or her exalted divine power. Beginning at 8th level, once per day, the Exalted Ascendant may use the Overland Flight spell on himself or herself (and his or her special mount, if he or she has one) with a Caster Level equal to the number of Exalted feats he or she has. She can expend a turn or smite attempt to increase her Caster Level with this spell by 1 for every turn or smite attempt expended. While the Exalted Ascendant is at least 5 feet above the ground, he or she gains a bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks equal to the number of Exalted feats she has.

Indomitable Will (Su): At 9th level, whenever the Exalted Ascendant would fail a Will save, he or she may reroll the check. He or she may take the better of the two rolls. He or she may reroll once per check, a total number of times equal to the number of Exalted feats he or she has per day.

Ascendant Smite (Su): At 10th level, the Exalted Ascendant's temperance and divine power enhance his or her weapon when it must be used to dispense truly divine justice. Whenever the Exalted Ascendant makes a Smite attack against an Evil creature, he or she adds twice the number of Exalted feats she has to both the hit and damage of the Smite attack. In addition, the Smite attack ignores all forms of Damage Reduction except DR/Epic. Upon gaining this ability, the Exalted Ascendant also gains a number of Smite attempts per day equal to the number of Exalted feats he or she has, in addition to all attempts she had before gaining this ability.

Exalted Body: At 10th level, the Exalted Ascendant's body becomes strengthened by his or her connection to the divine and utmost pinnacles of Good morality. He or she gains Damage Reduction 10/Magic and Spell Resistance equal to 20 + the number of Exalted feats he or she has.

PLAYING AN EXALTED ASCENDANT
Exalted Ascendants place themselves at the front of every battle, or at least try to. While their combat abilities are not strictly offensively-minded, they aim to protect others by making themselves a barrier between foes and allies.
Combat: The Exalted Ascendant will want to be somewhere in between his or her enemies and companions, holding enemies at bay with Bar the Way and moving only when doing so would increase his or her ability to protect allies and the innocent.
Advancement: Feats, abilities and other Prestige Classes that rely on Smite, defensive maneuvers or grant extra Exalted Feats (though not Vows, as the Exalted Ascendant cannot take three of them) further empower the Exalted Ascendant, as does taking extra Exalted Feats beyond those granted by the class.
Resources: Because Exalted Ascendants have received multiple gifts from deities and beings of pure Good, they are often able to call on otherworldly beings whose composition is largely that of Goodness to aid them in their endeavors. They might also be allies with other protectors, such as knights, paladins and clerics, and those they protect.

EXALTED ASCENDANTS IN THE WORLD
She saved us - all of us! She nearly got killed three times over doin' it, but we're all alive and safe now, thanks to her. She zipped though the town like some kind of angel, flying and beating back the orcs that were razing the whole place. I can only hope to meet her again to give her a proper thanks. ~ Survivor of an orc raid

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Edge]

THE RECAST DEVOTEE


"Purge the dross of your life. Become morally optimised."

- Blessedly Re-Optimised Bastion, Recast Devotee

Many warforged question whether they possess souls. For the recast devotees, the question is moot – other races do possess souls. There is a war for souls across the multiverse, and the celestials require all the help they can get. And so, they turn to the race built for war, and offer them a deal. A new body, reforged in the image of an upper plane, and power over souls for them to fight the war they must, though that power is but a debased form of a celestial’s capabilities, filtered through mortal understanding into a form of soul alchemy, a means of transmuting the vital anima of mortal creatures into a more brilliant and pure form. And who knows, eventually, the recast devotees may even transmute a soul for themself.

BECOMING A RECAST DEVOTEE
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Race: Warforged
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Craft (any used for warforged repair) 9, Craft (alchemy) 4
Feats: Adamantine Body or Mithral Body
Special: Must have made peaceful contact with a celestial native to the plane their plating will be Recast in the image of.

Class Skills
The recast devotee's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge [arcana] (Int), Knowledge [the planes] (Int), Knowledge [religion] (Int), Profession (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier, minimum 1.

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]

Level

|

Base Attack Bonus

|

Fort Save

|

Ref Save

|

Will Save

|

Special

|

Reagent/Encounter

|

Flux/Encounter

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Recast, Celestial Alchemy, Alchemical Balance|

2

|

2

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Forgiving Albedo Prana, Judgemental Nigredo Shintai|

3

|

2

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Undeniable Heaven Matrix|

3

|

3

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Citrinitaic Sublimato Guidance|

4

|

3

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Exalted Construction|

4

|

4

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Citrinitaic Separatio Infliction|

5

|

4

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Apologetic Ceratio Operation|

5

|

5

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Vitriolic Fermentatio Assumption|

6

|

5

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Self As Multiplicatio Shintai|

7

|

6

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Transcendent Construction, Refined Presence Projectio|

7

|

7

[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A recast devotee gains proficiency with martial weapons and medium and heavy armour, but no shields.

Recast (Ex):

Celestial Alchemy (Su):

Reagent and Flux per Encounter:

Alchemical Balance (Ex):

Forgiving Albedo Prana (Su):

Judgemental Nigredo Shintai (Su):

Undeniable Heaven Matrix (Su):

Citrinitaic Sublimato Guidance (Su):

Exalted Construction (Ex):

Citrinitaic Separatio Infliction (Su):

Apologetic Ceratio Operation (Su):

Vitriolic Fermentatio Assumption (Su):

Self As Multiplicatio Shintai (Su):

Transcendent Construction (Ex):

Refined Presence Projectio (Su):

PLAYING A RECAST DEVOTEE
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

RECAST DEVOTEES IN THE WORLD
"I don' wan' no 'forged messin' wid me soul. Sod off."

- Thranish peasant.

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

RECAST DEVOTEES IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

[Stompy]

Note: Class is still under construction. Things may change at anytime without notice. Also, the fluff will come.

Changelog:

Spoiler

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12/15 Original Version
12/21 Crunch Tweaks to clarify and simplify a lot of things. Also added one more ability to smooth druid versions of this PrC. and a (not-that-harsh) code of conduct. Currently working on this atm.

BEACON OF MERCY



Image: Sunfeather Aura by winnietehpoohie from DeviantART. Used without permission. [link]

“I wish not inflict pain on any living thing, and I find it regrettable that I sometimes must do so to spare the innocent.”
-Jezera, beacon of mercy.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any good.
Skill: 8 ranks Diplomacy
Skill: 8 ranks Heal
Feat: Improved Toughness
Spells: Must be able to cast 2nd level divine spells.
Special: You must have completed four combat encounters in a row without inflicting a single point of damage to any living thing.

Class Skills
The Beacon of Mercy's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:

Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis)

Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + INT

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Aura of Good, Painsense(60 ft.), Aura of Compassion (normal)|

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Mercy begets mercy|+1 existing class level

3rd|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Lay down one's life|+1 existing class level

4th|

+2

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Healer's Purity, Painsense(120 ft.), Aura of Compassion (improved)|+1 existing class level

5th|

+2

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Mercy's Reward|+1 existing class level

6th|

+3

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Spell Siphon, Improved Healer's Purity,|+1 existing class level

7th|

+3

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Widened Aura, Painsense(240 ft.), Aura of Compassion (greater)|+1 existing class level

8th|

+4

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Improved lay down one’s life|+1 existing class level

9th|

+4

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Greater Healer’s Purity, Improved Mercy’s Reward|+1 existing class level

10th|

+5

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Painsense(480 ft.), Aura of Compassion (transcendent)|[/table]

Class Features:

All of the following are class features of the Beacon of Mercy prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Beacons of Mercy gain no proficiency with any weapons or armor.

Spells per Day: When a new Beacon of Mercy level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to previously. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for the following:

-If you have the wild empathy class ability from a previous class, the class levels from Beacon of Mercy stack with the class that gave you animal empathy. This does not give you the ability if you did not have it before.

-If you have the animal companion class ability from a previous class, the full class levels from Beacon of Mercy stack with the class that gave you an animal companion. This does not give you the ability if you did not have it before.

This essentially means that he adds the level of Beacon of Mercy to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before he became a beacon of mercy, he must decide to which class he adds each level of beacon of mercy for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Aura of Good(Ex): The power of a Beacon of Mercy’s gains an aura of good (see the detect good spell), which is is equal to her class level. If you have a good aura from another class (like paladin), add the levels together to determine the strength of the aura.

Painsense(Su): Beacons of Mercy gain an empathic awareness of the pain of others around them. They can sense whenever a living thing is in pain in a 60’ radius around them. This causes them to detect the following:

-Any exact hit point loss occurred to any living creature in the radius.
-The exact remaining HP of any hurt living creature in the radius within line of effect.

This sense does not pinpoint creatures, all the beacon of hope knows is direction and intensity. This sense also does not detect living creatures with full HP, or creatures that don't feel pain, such as undead and many constructs. This ability does not need line of effect, but it is blocked by a thin sheet of lead. The radius on painsense increases to 120' at 4th level, 240' at 7th level, and 480' at 10th level.

Aura of Compassion (Su): The compassion that beacons of hope demonstrate and strive towards exude magically from them. Beacons of Mercy have a 30’ radius aura around them that protect themselves and their allies. Each aura consists of one aspect, which starts at normal at 1st level. The benefits and power increase to improved at 4th level, greater at 7th level, and transcendent at 10th level. The aura stops when the Beacon of Mercy is dead (but not unconscious). Multiple auras of compassion with the same aspect do not stack. A Beacon of Mercy can change the aspect of the aura with one hour of uninterrupted meditation.

Aspects (in progress):

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Resilience
Normal: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets a +1 sacred bonus to all saves.
Improved: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets a +2 sacred bonus to all saves.
Greater: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets a +3 sacred bonus to all saves.
Transcendent: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets a +4 sacred bonus to all saves, as well as evasion and mettle.

Steadfastness
Normal: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets DR 1/-. (Remember, multiple DRs do not stack.)
Improved: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets DR 2/-.
Greater: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion gets DR 3/-.
Transcendent: ???

Lifekeeping
Normal: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion do not die until they hit -20 HP. This does not keep them conscious. (Effects that keep characters alive, such as the Diehard feat, only work until their specified hit point limit, after which this ability takes over).
Improved: As normal, but the limit is -40 HP.
Greater: As normal, but the limit is -60 HP.
Transcendent: As normal, but the limit is -80 HP. In addition, being at negative hit points do not render anyone in the aura unconscious or disabled.

Freedom
Normal: Everyone in a Beacon of Mercy’s aura of compassion get a +3 sacred bonus to escape artist, grapple checks made to escape a grapple, and strength checks made to break objects.
Improved: As normal, but it is a +6 sacred bonus.
Greater: As normal, but it is a +9 sacred bonus.
Transcendent: As normal, but it is a +12 sacred bonus. In addition, force effects are insubstantial and do not exist in your aura.

Mercy begets mercy(Su): At second level, you have a persistent sanctuary effect on you, with a caster level equal to your character level, and a save DC equal to (10 + class level + CHA). If this effect ends, usually due to a dispel effect, or you attack, the effect comes back 24 hours later.

Lay down one’s life(Su): At 3rd level, you can step in to save your ally from damage. As an immediate action, a Beacon of Mercy who has line of effect to an ally within her aura can take half the damage incurred by that ally from one source. The damage received to a Beacon of Mercy in this fashion cannot be reduced.

Healer’s Purity (Su): At 4th level, the raw purity of the soul obtained through healing and compassion cause your body to shrug off adverse conditions. As a standard action, you may attempt to dispel one spell or condition affecting you. To do so, you must roll the appropriate save against the original effect, at the original effect’s DC. If the effect does not have a DC, then it has a will save DC of your character level +15.

Mercy’s Reward(Ex): At 5th level, whenever you use the “Lay down one’s life”, “Spell Siphon”, or “Improved lay down one’s life” class abilities, the next conjuration(healing) spell you cast on yourself before the end of your next turn is automatically empowered.

Spell Siphon(Su): At 6th level, you can transfer more than pain to yourself to save allies. As an immediate action, a Beacon of Mercy who has line of effect to an ally within her aura can take the full spell effect from an ally, after that ally has rolled a save against a spell against it. (The Beacon of Mercy does not re-save against the spell.)

Improved Healer’s Purity (Su): At 6th level, you may do the Healer’s Purity class ability as a move action.

Widened Aura(Ex): At 7th level, your aura of compassion becomes a 60’ radius.

Improved lay down one’s life(Su): Starting at 8th level, your ability to transfer pain to yourself becomes complete. As an immediate action, a Beacon of Mercy who has line of effect to an ally within her aura can take all of the damage incurred by that ally from one source. The damage received to a Beacon of Mercy in this fashion cannot be reduced.

Greater Healer’s Purity (Su): At 9th level, you may do the Healer’s Purity class ability as a free action on your turn, once per round.

Improved Mercy’s Reward(Ex): At 9th level, whenever you use the “Lay down one’s life”, “Spell Siphon”, or “Improved lay down one’s life”, the next conjuration(healing) spell you cast on yourself before the end of your next turn is automatically maximized, instead of empowered.

Stuff that needs to be filled in later:

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PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.

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Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Fable Wright]

The Necrolinguist


Picture by artozi.

The bones of the past yearn to tell their tales, but the words fall on deaf ears. The catacomb of ancient knowledge is all around us. You just need to learn how to listen.

Words are never quite forgotten. They may change over time, or fall out of use, but they are always there. Over time, entire languages have risen and fell, but they are still there. They still have been there. And they keep speaking, even if we no longer can hear it. The Necrolinguist is someone who hears the ancient whispers of the languages, and breathes new life into the words. Languages are beings themselves; they have personalities, they can change over time, and they interact and grow. The Nectolinguist is someone who lets these forgotten languages resurface, speaking for them, acting as their avatar. They selflessly search for lost words, traveling through crypts long forgotten, encountering beings as ancient as the languages they wish to revive. The Necrolinguist is not just a seeker of ancient word- they are the caretakers of the past, keeping alive the history that all but died with the languages. They morn for eras long past, and rejoice for the ruins and remnants of the past, taking care to see that they survive for generations to come to see. Although Necrolinguists are few in number, and the languages never see common use, they do remain in the open. People still learn phrases of the languages, and languages integrate some terms. Necrolinguists keep the languages themselves from dying out, and for this they are rewarded.

Becoming a Necrolinguist
A Necrolinguist is one who cares for languages long past. Such people are easy to find; those with enough respect for knowledge make themselves readily available. Necrolinguists aren't trained in the traditional sense, though. Most recruits are picked by ancient languages themselves; while in a library, prospective Necrolinguists come across a strange book, whose title is written in runes that they don't understand. If they pick up the book, and try to decipher the title, they can easily understand it to mean The Necrolinguist. If they begin reading, they are offered a chance to join their ranks. However, none refuse the offer; prospective Necrolinguists are only offered the book if it seems certain that they will accept the offer. Any character who cares enough about knowledge and books might be called to the role of the Necrolinguist, and there are no obvious majorities in the ranks; members range from Duskblades to Sorcerers, and any number of things in between. However, many bards join the ranks of the Necrolinguist; at the very least, most of them have had some training as a bard at some point, given their love of language and ability to spin tales into magic. Wizards are not uncommon, but few choose to abandon their spellcasting to join the ranks of Necrolinguists.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any good
Skills: Decipher Script 8 ranks, Knowledge (Any two) 4 ranks
Languages: Must speak at least 5 languages
Feats: Knowledge Devotion
Special: Must own or regularly visit a library

Class Skills
The Necrolinguist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Book of the Past, Tier I Languages, Whispers of History, Unearth Language

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Speak with the Forgotten, Unearth Language

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Words Unspoken, Unearth Language

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Tier II Languages, Tome of the Ancient, Power of Babel, Unearth Language

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Whispers of the Restless Tomes, Unearth Language

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Revive the Ruins, Unearth Language

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Avatar of Language, Tier III Languages, Tome of the Forgotten, Unearth Language

8th|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Forgotten Champions, Unearth Language

9th|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Visit the Lost Realms, Unearth Language

10th|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Double Avatar, Blessed of the Tomes[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Necrolinguist gains no proficiency with any weapons or armor.

Book of the Past: As soon as a Necrolinguist accepts the offer that The Necrolinguist offers them it transforms into their own Book of the Past. A Book of the Past is exactly like the volume that they originally picked up, although a Necrolinguist can change it's basic shape to their tastes. The Book of the Past is more or less a record of the Necrolinguist's findings, and a dictionary for the languages they uncover. Additionally, it is a Necrolinguist's link to the languages that they study; if they lose the book, they may no longer gain levels in this prestige class or use it's class abilities until they recover it. A Book of the Past can only be opened by the Necrolinguist who owns it; all other attempts utterly fail to open it, no matter how much force is applied. If, somehow, the book is opened by a non-necrolinguist, the pages appear to be blank and contain no information.

Languages: The key ability of the Necrolinguist is the ability to speak and use the powers of forgotten languages. At each Necrolinguist level except 10, the Necrolinguist may add one language from a tier that he has access to to his Languages known. At any time, as a standard action, a Necrolinguist may use any of the abilities granted to him by the languages he knows. All abilities granted by languages the Necrolinguist knows are supernatural abilities. At first level, the Necrolinguist has access to Tier I languages. At 4th level, he gains access to Tier II languages, and at 7th level, he has access to Tier III languages.

Whispers of History: Through the Book of History, and the research that the Necrolinguist does to uncover the languares, there are a trove of random facts and terms that he comes by. Even at the most random times, a Necrolinguist may know terms or monsters because of his research on the etymology of various words. At first level, a Necrolinguist may make a special knowledge check with a bonus equal to twice his class level (Up to a maximum of his character level) + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the Necrolinguist has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)

A successful check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A Necrolinguist may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.

Speak with the Forgotten: The bones of the past hold great, valuable secrets; one who knows how to speak with the dead are able to prise the knowledge from their bones. At 2nd level, at will, a Necrolinguist may cast Speak with Dead as a spell-like ability (CL = twice class level), with the following exceptions: A corpse may be in any state and still answer all questions as accurately as a full corpse, as long as the skull remains intact. In addition, all corpses must answer your questions, regardless of alignment. Evil creatures do not get a saving throw to resist the effect. In addition, you can only use this ability once on any single corpse.

Word Unspoken: The Necrolinguist's job is to collect words and information, even if it makes little sense. But by studying the mind, Necrolinguists can discover how different languages affect it, thus allowing them to get into the mindset of the creators of languages. It also allows them to communicate with other creatures by understanding their mentality. As a side effect, it allows the Necrolinguist to read the creature's thoughts. At 3rd level, the Necrolinguist can use Detect thoughts at will as a spell-like ability. In addition, the Necrolinguist can understand and communicate intelligibly with any individual whose surface thoughts you see, even if the effect ends.

Tome of the Ancients: At 4th level, the Book of the Past evolves again. Throughout the now considerably thicker book, there are bits of information and pages from various ancient sources, written in the languages you began to uncover; these bits of knowledge, even taken out of context, are highly informative about a wide variety of topics. This knowledge grants you a +5 bonus on knowledge (history) checks, and a +2 bonus on all other knowledge checks.

Power of Babel: Eventually, the Necrolinguist's studies into languages has allowed him to find the source of all words- an event known as the Babel. Through this event, sentient beings were suddenly able to put their thoughts into a form that another could understand. It was the birth of language, and many forgotten languages were created at the time of the Babel. At 4th level, a Necrolinguist gains the ability to tap into a fragment of the power of Babel, and instill language in another. Once per day, they may instill knowledge of one of the Forgotten Languages into their target (Will negates; DC = 10+int modifier+class level). If they are affected, they are overcome by the potential of the language- they can express their ideas perfectly, so that any other could understand them. This revelation causes the mind to forget how to speak other, lesser languages- they are effectively rendered Silenced, permanently, to everyone except for Necrolinguists and other people who have been effected by this ability.

Whispers of the Restless Tomes: Hidden within the Tome of the Ancients are fragments from ancient spellbooks, which were lost long ago to the elements. However, if a Necrolinguist studies his book well, he can find some scraps of paper from these lost tomes with bits of magic still scribed within them. At any time, a Necrolinguist may take 10 minutes searching through the Tome of the Ancients to find a particular spell of a level no higher than 1/2 their class level. If they do, at any point later on in that week, they may turn to that page as a swift action, and cast the spell on that page as a standard action. Once cast, the page is lost once again into the depths of the book. Only a total of 2 spell levels/class level may be found each week in this manner. Additionally, a Necrolinguist may use their Tome of the Ancients to find old and forgotten spell fragments, and stitch them together into a new whole; they can research and develop new spells using this ability.

Revive the Ruins: A Necrolinguist is not only a preserver of lore, but also a preserver of monuments. As long as monuments survive, people will be interested in the past. However, by completely rebuilding ruins, they lose their mystery and alure. A 6th level Necrolinguist learns how to circumvent this. By performing a short ritual, a Necrolinguist can create a horde of caretakers for a ruin, to make sure that it serves as a reminder of the past. Performing this ritual takes 10 minutes, and creates 3d6 Unseen Servants, plus an additional one for every 50 years that the building has survived. Every 50 years, another servant is created. The Unseen Servants are identical to the ones created by the spell in every way, except as described below.

• Each servant has a strength score equal to their creator's intelligence score.
• Each servant is treated as having a number of ranks in Craft (trapmaking), Craft (Stonemasonry), and Craft (Sculpting) equal to the number of years the ruin existed divided by 50.
• Each servant is able to attack constructs and inanimate objects.
• Each servant has no obligation to obey the Necrolinguist who created them

These servants rebuild structural supports, fix broken artwork, and build traps inside of the ruins. In addition, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, aberrations, goblinoids, reptilians, and dragons are all drawn to this ruin as per a permanent Sympathy spell. This ability is usable once per year.

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Fable Wright]

Forgotten Languages

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Tier I Languages

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Impyrion

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Language was created for the sharing of ideas, for the most part. Each language can communicate ideas differently. Impyrion was created for one purpose: to instigate ideas in others, and to make them think of it. It is a harsh language, and it often gets stuck in the recipient's head. It is, in essence, the language of command. It was one of the most dangerous languages ever made; when used by a master, it could be used like no other language to inspire others, almost forcing listeners to follow the orator's wishes with a zealous will. With it, many great empires from history were born; a military commander could get complete obedience from his troops, and a king could orate the laws onto his people, and be confident that they would be obeyed. Over time, the empires that rose through the use of Impyrion formed into one, large, centralized empire, and the military forces that it possessed began to dwindle. Citizens felt no inclination to break the law, and every country in the continent was under the influence of the empire. However, the empire eventually fell. Despite it being the only language in use in the empire, different neighborhoods in the empire began developing different dialects. With them, the unity of the language began to fall. The different dialects created followings of people who were drawn to the usage of one or the other, and the friction between them the different followings began to naturally increase; there were now multiple languages made for giving commands, and the commands from them grew more and more conflicting. Eventually, the unifying influence of the language began to wane, and laws were broken more and more. Eventually, the whole empire just collapsed, and the dialects continued to develop separately, eventually becoming 'common' languages; common, elvish, dwarven, and halfling. However, the dialects have become so different from each other over time that they no longer resemble Impyrion at all. Impyrion, by this time, was a dead language. However, it could have power once more.

Tier I benefit:
As a full-round action, you can direct the actions of up to 5 creatures for the next round. These commands must be specific; for example, "Move 30ft north and attack the orc with the red shield" would be a valid command, but "Attack one of those orcs over there" is not. These commands cannot be obviously harmful to the person whose actions you're directing. If they comply with your directions, they gain a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls for the next round against opponents you specify. If they cast a spell you specift, the spell's DC is increased by one, and the caster level is increased by 2. If they do not comply with your directions, they take a -1 penalty on all attack and damage rolls for the round, and all spells they cast are cast at a caster level 2 lower than normal. You may use this ability a number rounds per encounter equal to your class level.

Tier II benefit:
If you have access to tier II languages, you may, as a standard action, give a creature a suggestion, as the spell (caster level = 2* class level, DC = 10 + class level + int modifier). You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1/3 your class levels.

Tier III benefit:
If you have access to tier III languages, as a full round action, you may dominate a being (as per the Dominate Monsterspell) (DC = 10+class level+int mod) for a number of rounds up to your class level. Maintaining this ability each round is a full-round action.

Kyrian

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Stuff

Seitairon

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Stuff

Tier II Languages

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Honokuellan

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Tier II stuff

Techurian

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Tier II stuff

Necron

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Tier II stuff

Tier III Languages

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Aetharion

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Tier III stuff

Umnian

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Tier III stuff

Auerious

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Tier III stuff

[Merk]

EMBRACER

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"Aww... looks like you need a biiiiig hug! <3~"

An embracer is a beacon of warmth and compassion in a cold and cruel world. An embracer weaponizes the power of love through physical touch. An embracer's hug can melt the coldest of hearts, move allies to accomplish great feats, and even purify wicked souls.

By throwing down his or her weapons and opting to instead forgive and love each enemy s/he comes across, the embracer may just be the most dangerous warrior of them all.

BECOMING AN EMBRACER

Because the embracer must have a therapeutic physical touch, most embracers are paladins or healers. Since paladins are more willing to fight for justice, embracers are more commonly healers.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any good.
Skills: Diplomacy 8 ranks, Heal 8 ranks, Jump 4 ranks.
Feats: Improved Grapple.
Special: Lay on Hands or Healing Hands class feature (or any similar class feature).

Class Skills
The embracer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special | Affections|Spells

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|

+2

|Oath of embracing, hug, affections |

2

|

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|Blissful mobility, leap and lock|

3

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|Cuddle comfort|

3

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

4th|

+2

|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|Constrict (see text)|

4

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

5th|

+2

|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|Seizing squeeze|

4

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

6th|

+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+5

|Group hug|

5

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

7th|

+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+5

|Love will always find you|

5

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

8th|

+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+6

|Adorable aura|

6

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

9th|

+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+6

|Eternal optimist|

6

|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

10th|

+5

|

+7

|

+7

|

+7

|Did You Just Glomp Chthulu?|

7

|[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An embracer gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spells per Day:

When a new embracer level is gained (except levels 1 and 10), the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an embracer, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Oath of Embracing (Su):

An embracer abhors fighting and seeks to "battle" enemies by attacking their will to battle. An embracer must forsake the use of weapons, armors, and shields in combat, and must abstain from the use of any attack or effect that would lethally damage or impair another living (non-construct, non-undead) creature.

As long as the embracer abides by his or her oath, s/he gains the benefit of a constant protection from evil spell effect with a caster level equal to twice his or her class level. S/he may dismiss or regain this effect as a standard action.

Additionally, as long as the embracer abides by his or her oath and is wearing no armor, not using a shield, and carrying no more than a light load, s/he gains a bonus to armor class equal to his or her class level plus charisma modifier. This bonus is denied whenever his or her dexterity bonus to armor class would be denied.

None of the embracer's other class features violate the embracer's oath, healer's oath, paladin's code, vow of nonviolence or vow of peace. Any harm the embracer causes from a class feature is either nonlethal or accidental in nature.

If the embracer violates his or her oath, s/he loses all of his or her supernatural class features until s/he receives atonement (in addition to any other requirements set by the DM).

Hug (Ex):

The hug is the most basic expression of affection, and the embracer is a master of utilizing it in combat. A hug works like a grapple, but the embracer forsakes doing unarmed damage to the target at any stage of the grapple.

The embracer is considered to have base attack bonus equal to his or her class level for the purposes of grapple checks and melee touch attacks made to initiate grapples, and receives a sacred bonus to grapple checks equal to his or her class level plus charisma modifier. The embracer may also choose to use his or her dexterity modifier in place of strength modifier for grapple checks and touch attacks to initiate grapples.

For the purpose of definition, an embracer cannot hug himself or herself.

Affection (Su):

Levels in embracer stack with levels in paladin and levels in healer to determine effective level for lay on hands and healing hands (though this does not grant the embracer class abilities of the paladin and healer).

While hugging a target, the embracer may use an affection as a standard action by expending a use of their lay on hands or healing hands. If the affection allows a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + the embracer's class level + the embracer's charisma modifier. If an affection references a spell or maneuver, the embracer has an effective caster level or initiator level equal to twice his or her class level (but only for the purpose of the affection ability). Regardless of how the original spell or maneuver works, the embracer must have his or her target in a hug in order to target them with an affection.

At 1st level, the embracer learns 2 affections from the affection list. At each even level thereafter, the embracer learns 1 additional affection. If the affection lists a minimum level, the embracer must meet the level requirement before selecting the affection (including the same level).

Blissful Mobility (Ex):

At 2nd level, the embracer gains mobility as a bonus feat, and never provokes attacks of opportunity from her intended target for moving towards an opponent in an attempt to hug it (However, s/he may provoke attacks of opportunity for moving through squares of other enemies).

Leap and Lock (Ex):

At 2nd level, the embracer receives a +10 enhancement bonus to jump checks and all jumps are considered running jumps. If the embracer initiates a hug at the end of a jump, s/he receives a +4 bonus to the melee touch attack.

Cuddle Comfort (Ex):

At 3rd level, the embracer is able to hug all kinds of creatures. S/he is immune to any effect that damages enemies on contact, such as a flaming body or armor spikes. The embracer may still be affected by such an ability if s/he is struck by an attack or for some other reason, but cannot be harmed by a contact ability as a result of a hug.

Constrict (Ex):

At 4th level, the embracer may choose to hug a target very tightly, causing constriction damage as a free action once per round during a hug. This deals 1d6 bludgeoning nonlethal damage per 2 class levels (rounded down). The embracer is generally unaware of any damage caused in this manner (even despite protests of "you're crushing the life out of me!" and similar complaints).

Seizing Squeeze (Ex):

At 5th level, the embracer is able to maintain a hug with creatures that would otherwise be able to freely or easily escape it (for example, creatures under the effect of a freedom of movement or grease spell). Such creatures do not receive the normal benefits of the effect they possess, but instead receive a flat +5 bonus to grapple or escape artist checks made to escape from the grapple.

In addition, the embracer may attempt to hug a target of any size.

Group Hug (Ex):

At 6th level, the embracer can share the effects of a single affection among a number of targets up to half his or her class level that are either hugging the embracer or hugging someone who is hugging the embracer.

Love Will Always Find You (Su):

At 7th level, the embracer gains the ability to follow an opponent anywhere to hug them. If an opponent that was hugged within the previous minute escapes and teleports away, the embracer may as a standard action teleport to a random valid location up to sixty feet away from the target in the new location, as long as the embracer decides to do this up to one minute from when the opponent teleports. If the opponent merely escapes and moves away and the embracer still has line of sight and line of effect, the embracer may choose to teleport directly to the opponent's location and immediately initiate a hug. This ability is usable once per day per class level.

Adorable Aura (Su):

At 8th level, an embracer is under a constant holy aura effect with a caster level equal to twice his or her class level. S/he can dismiss or regain the effect as a standard action.

Eternal Optimist (Su):

At 9th level, an embracer gains immunity to all compulsion, death, and fear effects. Any ally being hugged by the embracer gains a +8 bonus to saves against compulsion, death, and fear effects. In addition, the embracer gains negative energy resistance 10.

Did You Just Glomp Chthulu? (Su):

At 10th level, an embracer's love is so pure that s/he can hug even the most impossible creatures and pacify them. S/he may attempt to hug incorporeal creatures. In addition, any creature immune to mind-affecting effects loses that protection against the embracer's affections, but instead receives a flat +5 saving throw bonus on any mind-affecting affection.

In addition, the embracer has transcended any reasonable level of affection or positivity. The embracer's type changes to Aberration (do not recalculate anything) and the embracer gains damage reduction 10/epic and evil.

Multiclass Note: Taking levels of embracer does not prevent a paladin from taking further levels of paladin.

Affections List

Spoiler

Show

Augh! It burns! (Minimum Embracer Level: 6)

The power of an embracer's pure heart is anathema to vile creatures. It is so harmful to these creatures that their spiritual integrity is assaulted. The embracer may deal 4d6 sacred damage per class level to any evil aberration, dragon, outsider, undead, or other creature with a strong association with evil or negative energy as determined by the DM. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hp or less, the target immediately bursts into a cloud of sugar, spice, and everything nice (as a disintegrate effect) and all allies within a 30 ft. radius gain +1 temporary hit point per hit die of the enemy and a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for 1 minute. The opponent only takes 1d6 damage per class level on a successful fortitude save.

Bear Hug

The embracer hugs tightly to disallow escape. The target immediately becomes pinned by the embracer.

Bunny Hug (Minimum Embracer Level: 8)

The embracer hugs the target and begins to dance with him or her. This functions as irresistible dance. If the embracer stops dancing or breaks away for any reason, the effect immediately ends.

Cooldown Hug

The embracer's hug makes the target forget any feelings of anger or sadness. This affection functions as a calm emotions spell.

Horror of Love (Minimum Embracer Level: 8)

The embracer hugs a target and attempts to instill an overwhelming sense of joy in his or her target. The target must make a will save or be confused as long as the embracer holds the hug. If the target is held for at least a minute in this manner, the target is rendered permanently insane.

Iron Hug Surge (Minimum Embracer Level: 4)

The embracer hugs an ally and cleanses them. This removes one of the following effects: Blinded, Confused, Cowering, Dazed, Dazzled, Deafened, Entangled, Exhausted, Fascinated, Fatigued, Frightened, Nauseated, Panicked, or Paralyzed. The recipient also receives a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls until the end of his or her turn.

Marshmallow Hell (Minimum Embracer Level: 4)

The embracer buries his or her victim into his or her plentiful mounds / hairy chest. The target makes a fortitude save. If successful, the target is simply staggered for 1 round. Otherwise, the target begins to suffocate. On the target's next turn, it falls unconscious and is reduced to 0 hit points.

Peacemaker

The embracer, through love, causes the enemy to lose the will to fight. This functions as a charm monster spell.

Sickeningly Sweet

The embracer is just so full of sunshine and rainbows and teddy bears and... the target must make a fortitude save or be nauseated for the duration of the hug.

Snooze Pillow (Minimum Embracer Level: 6)

The embracer's touch aids sleep. The target must succeed at a will save or immediately fall asleep for 2 hours. The sleep is of such high quality that it counts as 8 hours of continuous rest. A target may only receive the benefit of 8 hours of rest in this way once per week.

Terrorize (Minimum Embracer Level: 8)

The embracer's touch instills an indescribable fear in his or her enemies. The enemy must make a will save or be panicked in the observable presence of the embracer for the next 24 hours (the enemy attempts to escape from the embracer and prioritizes that over any other action). An enemy that makes its save cannot be terrorized for 24 hours.

White Raven Snuggle (Minimum Embracer Level: 4)

The embracer spurs an ally to action with a hug. The recipient's initiative is set to your initiative -1, and the recipient acts on this initiative count as normal (and not on his or her original initiative). If s/he has already acted this round, s/he may not act again. If this does not change your ally's initiative count, this has no effect.

PLAYING AN EMBRACER

Although an embracer cannot use conventional attacks against enemies, many of his or her affections are powerful weapons and neutralizers. In addition, you have many ways to help your allies as well. When you run out of affection, you can fall back on your spellcasting abilities.

Combat: Embracers engage the enemy directly, which is why they receive such high defenses. However, with hide and move silently as class skills, embracers often sneak close to an enemy and then pounce with leap and lock. This maneuver is well-known as the "glomp". Embracers usually constrict an use an affection on their target every turn of a hug.

Advancement: Ideally, an embracer continues in classes that advance the lay on hands or healing hands abilities, classes that advance spellcasting, or classes that improve grappling capability.

Resources: Embracers, though often religious, are not tied to temples in the same way clerics are. However, almost everybody in a good or neutral community appreciates an embracer and is willing to help him or her.

EMBRACERS IN THE WORLD
"Please don't come near me! I've had enough... I surrender! Oh dear lord, just keep her away from me! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" ~ Jema Ebonslate, Blackguard of the Ninth Gate

Embracers generally attempt to hug every person they come across. People react to this in varying ways. In the worst case scenario, the embracer accidentally breaks some social convention.

Daily Life: Every day is an opportunity to brighten someone else's day! Typical non-hugging activities for an embracer include picking flowers, giving gifts, or baking cookies.

Notables: Georgian Vasco Gavanteinn is a professional wrestler from the Goliath Kingdom, Berghol. After many years of fighting and celebrated success in the ring, an unknown event caused him to renounce violence. He left his home and now works with aspiring heroes to fight evil with love.

Organizations: Embracers do not have much organization, but any two embracers that meet will inevitably get along extremely well. An embracer can usually count on the aid of most good or neutral aligned communities.

NPC Reaction

People tend to have one of the following emotions with respect to embracers: like, annoyance, or fear.

EMBRACERS IN THE GAME

Embracers can provide powerful team support and can pose a threat to many evil opponents, but at the cost of forsaking any conventional means of offense.

Adaptation: Embracers can fit in healer's communities and temples of certain deities. In some campaigns, an embracer may be more cognizant of harm they cause, or actively use their sexuality. This is generally not the case for the typical embracer.

Encounters: Most PCs will appreciate the assistance of a friendly embracer. Evil PCs, however, may find it prudent to run...

Sample Encounter

The arch-lich Tejira, the rakshasa blade lord Ranjan, and the illithid mindbreaker Gel' Uthen have set their sights on conquering and enslaving the Kingdom of the Goliaths. Little do they know, the kingdom has a protector...

GEORGE THE HUGGERNAUT



Neutral Good / Male / Goliath / Monk 5 / Paladin 2 / Reaping Mauler 2 / Embracer 10
Init +6, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant
------------------------------------------------
AC 40, touch 40, flat-footed 10
hp 209 (19 HD)
Fort +39, Ref +33, Will +32
------------------------------------------------
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee
Base Atk +12, Grp +56
Atk Options Hug, Constrict 5d6
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared Cure Light Wounds
Supernatural Abilities Bear Hug, Peacemaker, Marshmallow Hell, Iron Hug Surge, Augh! It Burns!, Bunny Hug, Horror of Love
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 32, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 7, Wis 20, Cha 26
SQ AC Bonus, Evasion, Lay on Hands, Divine Grace, Oath of embracing, Hug, Blissful Mobility, Leap and Lock, Cuddle Comfort, Constrict, Seizing Squeeze, Group Hug, Love Will Always Find You, Adorable Aura, Eternal Optimist, Did You Just Glomp Chthulu?
Feats Improved Grapple, Clever Wrestling, Weapon Focus (Grapple), Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Great Fortitude, Endurance
Skills Escape Artist +10, Diplomacy +12, Heal +9, Jump +34, Tumble +9
Possessions Items of +6 Str, Dex, Con, Cha; +4 to Wis; +6 cloak of resistance

[zagan]

HUMBLE SOULSHAPER

Materialism is meaningless, only immortal truly matter.

A Humble Soushaper

Those that choose to swear to the heaven a vow of poverty quickly come to realize that despite the gift from heaven grant to them to compensate, it might not be enough to fight evil effectively. Some lesser men might then renounce their vow at this point and simply go back to fighting evil with more ordinary mean. Humble soulshaper are those that choose to persevere and search for other way to increase their ability without relying on material wealth, and they’ve found incarnum.

BECOMING A HUMBLE SOULSHAPER
Any character with a few level in an incarnum class can become humble soulshaper as long as they abide by their vow of poverty.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignement: Any Good
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 13 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 6 ranks
Feats: Vow of Poverty^BoED
Special: Ability to shape two soulmelds; ability to bind a soulmeld to a chakra

Class Skills
The Humble Soulshaper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Meldshaping

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|

+2

|Exalted Incarnum , Exalted Weapon|+1 level of existing class level

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|Chakra bind (crown, feet, hand)|+1 level of existing class level

3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|Armored Body|+1 level of existing class level

4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|Chakra bind (arms, brow, shoulder)|+1 level of existing class level

5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|Exalted Soulmeld|+1 level of existing class level

6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+5

|

+5

|Chakra bind (Throat, Waist)|+1 level of existing class level

7th|

+5

|

+5

|

+5

|

+5

|Improved Countenance|+1 level of existing class level

8th|

+6

|

+6

|

+6

|

+6

|Chakra bind (Heart)|+1 level of existing class level

9th|

+6

|

+6

|

+6

|

+6

|Exalted Binding|+1 level of existing class level

10th|

+7

|

+7

|

+7

|

+7

|Chakra bind (Soul), Sacred Incarnum|+1 level of existing class level
[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Humble Soulshaper gain no new proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Meldshaping At each Humble Soulshaper level, you increase your meldshaper level, the number of soulmelds you can shape, the number of chakra binds you can create, and your essentia pool as if you had gained a level in the meldshaping class to which you belonged prior to gaining the Wild soul level. You do not, however, gain any other abilities of that class, such as new tiers of chakra binds. If you had more than one meldshaping class before becoming a Wild soul, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining your essentia pool, meldshaper level, and the number of soulmelds and chakra binds available.

Exalted Incarnum:You have gained a better understanding of the gift to you by the heaven for renouncing material wealth and can now ask for gift that increase you connexion with the incarnum of the world to better serve them. You can now choose to take a feat from the following list instead of an exalted feat when gaining bonus from you Vow of poverty. The list include any incarnum feat, Bonus Essentia, Double Chakra, Expanded Soulmeld Capacity , Heart of Incarnum, Improved Essentia Capacity, Incarnum Fortified Body, Shape Soulmeld or Share Soulmeld.

Exalted Weapon (Su): Your long voluntarily poverty mean that you have learn to do the best you can with what little you may have, you may now improve the weapon made from the soul you shape to better fight evil. Starting at 1st level when you invest essentia into a soulmeld that grant you one or more weapon, natural or otherwise, and that grant you an enhancement bonus to attack and damage roll with that weapon depending on the essentia invest in the soulmeld, such as the Girallon Arms or the Incarnate Weapon, you can instead choose to apply some special property to that weapon depending on the number of point of essentia invest as describe in the following table, you can chose multiple property as long as you can invest enough essentia into the weapon to do so. If the soulmeld grant you multiple weapon the special property apply to only one of them the other still gaining the enhancement bonus as normal.

Spoiler

Show

Table 1.1: Weapon Special property and Essentia cost.
{table=head]Essentia|Special property
1|Bane (Evil Outsider)
1|Bane (Undead)
1|Blessed^1,MiC
1|Defending
1|Everbright^1,MiC
1|Ghost Touch
1|Heavenly Burst^MiC
1|Holy Surge^1,MiC (only if the Holy property is already applied to the weapon)
1|Illuminating^MiC
1|Light Burst^DotU
1|Merciful
1|Mighty Smiting^MiC
1|Resounding^MiC
1|Revealing^MiC
1|Sacred^MiC
1|Sacred Burst^MiC (only if the Sacred property is already applied to the weapon)
1|Sacrificial Smiting^CoV
2|Anarchic (only if you are chaotic)
2|Axiomatic (only if you are lawful)
2|Banishing^1,MiC
2|Disruption (only if weapon deal bludgeoning damage)
2|Holy
2|Parrying
2|Sparkling^DotU
4|Brilliant Energy
6|Mighty Disruption (only if weapon deal bludgeoning damage)
8|Anarchic Power(only if you are chaotic)
8|Axiomatic Power(only if you are lawful)
8|Holy Power
[/table]
^{1: For special property that have some effect that can only be used a limit number of time per day, the limit apply even if you divest and reinvest essentia in your weapon multiple time in a day.}

In addition to special property you can also chose to make the soulmeld granted weapon count as being of a special material for all purpose as given in the second table below, you can even make the weapon count as being made of multiple different material. In that case the change apply to all the weapons granted by the soulmeld.

Spoiler

Show

Table 1.2: Special Material and Essentia cost
{table=head]Essentia|Special Material
1|Adamantine
1|Alchemical Silver
1|Bronze^{DMG p144}
1|Byeshk^ECS
1|Cold Iron
1|Deep Crystal
1|Riedran Crysteel^ECS
1|Starmetal^CAr
1|Solarian Truesteel^BoED
1|Stone^{DMG p144}
1|Wood
[/table]

For example a Totemist 10/Humble Soulshaper 1 who has shaped the Girallon Claws and bind it to his Totem chakra gain four Claws attack and he can invest up to 3 point of essentia in them, 2 from his ECL + 1 because it’s bound to his totem, to gain a +3 enhancement bonus to attack and damage roll with them. But his Vow of poverty already grant him a +2 enhancement bonus to attack and damage roll for all his attack, meaning that he must invest more than 2 points of essentia before gaining some benefit, in consequence he choose to grant the Holy property to his first claw attack and to make all of them count as adamantine with his 3 points of invested essentia instead, which mean that he now can attack with a +2 adamantine holy claw and three +2 adamantine claw.
Note: Soulborn can use the Moral weapon soulmeld found below in conjunction with this ability.

Chakra Binds: Beginning at second level you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hand chakras. At 4th level you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow or shoulder chakras. At 6th level you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakra. At 8th level you can bind soulmelds to your heart chakra. At 10th level you can bind soulmelds to your soul chakra.

Armored Body (Su): To continue your fight against evil you must survive, to better do so you’ve develop a technique that allow you to reinforce your body. Starting at 3rd level you can invest essentia into this ability as if it was a soulmeld, and you treat it as such for the purpose of determining the maximum amount of essentia you can invest in it, doing so grant you the benefit of some armor special quality chosen from the list below.

Spoiler

Show

Table 1.3: Armor Special property and Essentia cost.
{table=head]Essentia|Special property
1|Anchoring^MiC
1|Anchoring, Greater^MiC (require Anchoring)
1|Daylight^1,MiC
1|Death Ward^1,MiC
1|Fortification, Light
1|Quickness
1|Landing
1|Mobility^MiC
1|Seeing
1|Styptic^MiC
2|Angelic^BoED
2|Healing^1,MiC (require Healing)
2|Spell Resistance (13)
2|Exalted^BoED
3|Fortification, Moderate
3|Gleaming
3|Spell Resistance (15)
4|Healing, Greater^1,MiC
4|Soulfire^BoED
4|Spell Resistance (17)
4|Radiant
5|Fortification, Heavy
5|Freedom^MiC
5|Proof Against Transmutation^CAr
5|Spell Resistance (19)
6|Great Spell Resistance (21)
7|Great Spell Resistance (23)
8|Great Spell Resistance (25)
9|Great Spell Resistance (27)
[/table]
^{1: For special property that have some effect that can only be used a limit number of time per day, the limit apply even if you divest and reinvest essentia in this ability multiple time in a day.}

Exalted Soulmeld (Su): Your devotion to doing good mean that when you call upon the soul of good creature to help you they are more willing to do so. At 5th level your effective meldshaper level increase by 2 for the purpose of using Soulmeld with the Good descriptor.

Improved Countenance (Ex): After year of frugality you’ve learn how to best push the boundary of what you can do. At 7th level the essentia capacity of your soulmeld increase by 1.

Exalted Binding (Su): Your soul has become more resilient after year of shaping incarnum and sustaining only on the energy granted by the heaven. Starting at 9th level you can bind an additional soulmeld to any one of your chakra not already in use, in effect the number of chakra binds you can have at any one time increase by 1.

Sacred Incarnum (Ex): You’ve become a paragon of good, living only from what the heaven grant you and the soul you shape. At 10th level you gained various benefit, first you gain the good subtype, second you become immune to essentia damage and wisdom damage, third you become immune to any effect that would divest essentia from any of your incarnum receptacle or effect that would prevent you from shifting your essentia between receptacel, fourth the soulmeld you shape cannot be dispelled, forcefully unshaped or forcefully unbind anymore unless you let them, finally your soulmeld continue to function even in dead magic zone or anti-magic field.

PLAYING A HUMBLE SOULSHAPER
Humble soulshaper play almost exactly like before entering the class, the only thing that really matter is choosing soulmeld that don’t overlap with the benefit of your vow of poverty.
Combat: The only real addition to your in combat action come from your Exalted weapon ability, that allow you to adapt your weapon power to your foe, against evil outsider and undead in particular your are particularly strong.
Advancement: This class is designed to end when your reach level 20, but if you continue playing in epic then the most logical progression is either going back yo your incarnum class or another incarnum prestige class.
Resources: You have no material resource to call upon, but your frequent donation to the poor and other benevolent organization mean that you are almost always assured support from the population.

HUMBLE SOULSHAPER IN THE WORLD
One day this man come to the orphanage, I was very suspicious at first he was wearing only very simple clothing and various blue shape constantly surround him, still i welcome him as his custom. He simply said that he was there to give a donation and drop a big bag at my feet before leaving. When I look inside it was full of gold !

-An orphanage matron

Your are generally very well perceived in the world and well repected, the only one that might dislike you are selfish epople who feel that you are wasting what you gain by giving it away.
Daily Life: Your begin your day by shaping your soulmeld and often by thanking the heaven for the gift they have grant you. The rest of your day depend heavily on your situation but often it resume to fighting evil.
Notables: The most notable Humble soulshaper was an half-orc woman, Relisha Claned, she was a good incarnate that after an encounter with an angel and a long philosophical discusion with him choose to follow the path of voluntarily poverty. She spend the rest of her life doing good and giving everything that she gained to the poor and notable organization dedicated to helping half-bred like herself. She sacrifice her life the kill a cultist leader that was sacrificing children to a dark god.
Organizations: Humble soulshaper do not posses any formal organization but are often member of good church.

NPC Reaction
If the soulmeld you shape have no particular obvious tell of their presence, most people will simply dismiss you as another peasant. If they are obvious they may wonder about the dichotomy between your poor clothes and the magical shape around you. Those that are aware of you regular donation generally have a strong respect for you.

HUMBLE SOULSHAPER IN THE GAME

Adaptation: None really, any good character that use incarnum can benefit from this class and it require no special adaptation for your setting.

Encounters: The most likely way to encounter one would be if one of them require help fighting evil.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Space Reach
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Moral Weapon

Spoiler

Show

Descriptors: Chaotic, Evil, Good and/or Lawful
Classes: Soulborn
Chakra: Hand
Saving Throw: None
Incarnum form into an impressive two-hand weapon that represent your alignment.

You shape incarnum into a melee weapon (sized normally for you) that is perfectly suited to battle those opposed to your cause. Damage you deal with the weapon gains the alignments descriptor matching your owns and penetrate damage reduction accordingly. The shape and color of the weapon depend on your alignment as follow:
Lawful Good: White Greatsword
Chaotic Good: Blue Falchion
Lawful Evil: Black Scythe
Chaotic Evil: Red Greataxe
Nonproficiency penalties
never apply to the use of an incarnate weapon, though any feats with effects that apply to a particular kind of weapon (such as Weapon Focus) function normally.


Your moral weapon cannot be sundered or otherwise destroyed (excepted by effect that would unshaped soulmelds). If your moral weapon leaves your hand for any reasons, it returns to your grasp at the beginning of your next turn. If that is impossible, it fails at your feet (but attempt to return again on your next turn). Any other creature attempting to wield your moral weapon gains none of it’s special benefit (but can be wield as a normal weapon of that kind.)
Moral weapon is treated as a chaotic, evil, good and/or lawful effect, based on your alignement.

Essentia: The Moral weapon gains an enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to the number of points of essentia you invest in it.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
The moral weapon form doesn’t change but it when you strike your foe with it, it emit a flash of light.

As a full-round action, a number of time per day equal to your charisma modifier you can use a special technique with your moral weapon depending on your alignment as describe below:

Lawful Good: You point your Greatsword and project a line of energy, the line is 5ft + 5ft per point of essentia invest in the moral weapon long. Make a normal a melee attack against every creature in this line, each successful attack deal damage as normal for the moral weapon including Strength modifier if any.
Chaotic Good: You seem to suddenly move faster and attack in a flurry of strike. As part of this technique you must make a full-attack with your Falchion making 1 additional attack plus one per essentia invest in the moral weapon those additional attack are at your highest attack bonus with a -2 cumulative penality for each additionial attack after the first. All the attack during this full attack, including the bonus attack must be made against the same target.
Lawful Evil: You strike with your Scythe all those around you. Choose up to two creature plus one per point of essentia invest in the moral weapon that are adjacent to you an to each other. Make one attack are to your highest attack bonus that deal damage as normal, this attack affect all the chosen creature equally and hit them depending on their armor class as normal.
Chaotic Evil: You cleave into your foe so hard that the blood projection hurt the creature touch by it. You make a single melee attack with your Greataxe against one target if it succeed every creature, except yourself, in a 5ft radius, plus 5ft per point of essentia invest in the moral weapon, around the target take half as much damage as was dealt by the attack.

[The Conductor]

ANGLO-SAXON HERO

Spoiler

Show

"Good, huh? Yeah, I suppose I'm good. Mostly I kill dragons. Dragons are usually evil, right? Hey, Cleric! That dragon we fought yesterday, he was evil, right?... Yeah, that's what I thought. Serves him right."-Athelstan the Powerful on his goodness.

While some people prefer to offer some slight chance to evildoers to change their ways, the Anglo-Saxon Hero prefers a more... swords-on approach to dealing with the foul beasts of the darkness. Their philosophy is adequately summed up by the Bruce Cockburn phrase: "Kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight." And if it doesn't, they would say simply, "You're not kicking hard enough."

BECOMING AN ANGLO-SAXON HERO

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
BAB: +5
Alignment: Any good.
Feats: Improved Grapple
Class Feature: 5 maneuvers known from the Iron Heart, Devoted Spirit or Stone Dragon Disciplines, either favored enemy(Dragon, Giant, Monstorous Humanoid or Outsider(Evil)) or Smite Evil
Special: Must have dealt the finishing blow to a dragon OR three giants OR have killed someone while grappling OR currently possess a weapon that is designed for someone at least one size category larger.
Restrictions: An Anglo-Saxon Hero cannot be a Dragon, Half-Dragon, Giant, Half-Giant, or have any levels in Dragon Disciple.
Class Skills
The Anglo-Saxon Hero's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb(Str) Jump(Str) Intimidate(Cha) Listen(Wis) Martial lore (Int) Swim(Str) Survival(Wis) Spot(Wis) Sense Motive (Wis)
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers known|Maneuvers readied|Stances Known

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+0

|Amazing Grapple, Keep on Paladin...ing|1|0|0

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+0

|Big Ol' Sword|0|0|0

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|Vs. Grendel|1|1|0

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Favored Enemy, Smite Favored Enemy 2/day|0|0|0

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Insightful Grapple|1|0|1

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Vs. Grendel's Mother|0|1|0

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Favored Enemy, Smite Favored enemy 3/day|1|0|0

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|Unnaturally Large Sword|0|0|0

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|Vs. The Unnamed Dragon|1|1|0

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|True Hero, Smite Favored Enemy 4/day|0|0|0
[/table]

Maneuvers and Stances

At each odd-numbered level, you gain a new maneuver known from the Devoted Spirit, Iron Heart or Stone Dragon discipline. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full Anglo-Saxon Hero levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest level of maneuver known. At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.

At 5th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Devoted Spirit, Iron Heart or Stone Dragon discipline. You must meet a stance's prerequisite to learn it.

Amazing Grapple (Ex): At first level, an Anglo-Saxon Hero no longer fails to hold an opponent due to it being two size categories larger than her. Also, An Anglo-Saxon Hero gains a +1 bonus to her grapple check for every size category larger than her her target is, and a +1 bonus per class level provided her target is at least one size category larger.

Keep on Paladin...ing (Su): An Anglo-Saxon Hero's class levels stack with her Paladin levels (if any) for the purposes of determining the power of her Smite Evil ability.

Big Ol' Sword (Ex): At second level, an Anglo-Saxon Hero can be considered one size category larger than she is for the purposes of determining what weapon size is appropriate.

Vs. Grendel: At third level, An Anglo- Saxon Hero gains one of these benefits:
War Grapple (Ex): You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling without taking a -4 penalty.
Bonus Feat: Choose one bonus feat from the fighter bonus feat list, or an Exalted Feat.
Smite Evil +1: (Prerequisite: Smite Evil) You can Smite Evil one additional time per day.

Favored Enemy (Ex): At fourth and seventh level, an Anglo-Saxon Hero gains a favored enemy, as a ranger. However, the enemy chosen must be Dragon, Giant, Monstrous Humanoid or Outsider(Evil). If she already has all of these as favored enemies, she may choose another, but the additional +2 must be added to one of these types.

Smite Favored Enemy (Ex): At fourth level, she gains the ability to Smite Favored Enemy 2/day. This functions as the Paladin's Smite Evil, except she uses her character levels rather than Paladin levels, and it affects any Favored Enemy, rather than any Evil-Aligned Creature.
At seventh level, she can use this ability 3/day.
At tenth level, she can use this ability 4/day.

Insightful Grapple (Ex): At fifth level, an Anglo-Saxon Hero adds her Wisdom modifier to her grapple checks and unarmed damage rolls.


Vs. Grendel's Mother: At sixth level, An Anglo- Saxon Hero gains one of these benefits:
War Grapple (Ex): You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling without taking a -4 penalty.
Improved War Grapple (Ex):(Prerequisite: War Grapple) You can make an attack with a One-Handed Weapon against another character you are grappling.
Bonus Feat: Choose one bonus feat from the fighter bonus feat list, or an Exalted Feat.
Smite Evil +1: (Prerequisite: Smite Evil) You can Smite Evil one additional time per day.

Unnaturally Large Sword (Ex): At eighth level, an Anglo-Saxon Hero can be considered up to two size categories larger for the purposes of determining what size weapons are appropriate.

Vs. The Unnamed Dragon: At ninth level, An Anglo- Saxon Hero gains one of these benefits:
War Grapple (Ex): You can make an attack with an unarmed strike, natural weapon, or light weapon against another character you are grappling without taking a -4 penalty.
Improved War Grapple (Ex):(Prerequisite: War Grapple) You can make an attack with a One-Handed Weapon against another character you are grappling.
Smite Evil Favored Enemy: (Prerequisite: Smite Evil) You can use one use of Smite Evil and Smite Favored Enemy at the same time, adding both bonuses to attack and damage.
Bonus Feat: Choose one bonus feat from the fighter bonus feat list, or an Exalted Feat.
Smite Evil +1: (Prerequisite: Smite Evil) You can Smite Evil one additional time per day.

True Hero (Su): At 10th level, any weapon you use, your natural attacks and your unarmed strikes are all considered Holy Weapons as well as Bane Weapns towards all your favored enemies.

PLAYING AN ANGLO-SAXON HERO
Combat: Based on whether you intend to Smite or grapple more, you should either use one extremely large two-handed sword or a one-handed sword and have one hand open for grapple attempts. As you are one of the few people who can grapple a dragon, I thoroughly recommend doing so, even just once.
Advancement: I recommend taking superior unarmed strike and snap kick as bonus feats. Exalted smite and Holy weapons aren't that great as at tenth level, True Hero makes ALL of your attacks good aligned.
Resources: Based on whether he belongs to a military organisation, an order of Paladins or to noone at all, either the resources of that organisation, or whatever you can get from a Dragon.

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
"An' then ther was the time he fought Grendel, beast kept attackin' us he did, but a few minutes with him and for the rest of his life he was 'armless!"- Hrothgar, Lord of Heorot

Daily Life: Unless tied to the defence of a specific realm, an Anglo-Saxon Hero wanders the earth, looking for people who need help.
Notables: Beowulf, the most famous Anglo-Saxon Hero, (although technically not an Anglo-Saxon,) is best known for defeating Grendel at Heorot, tracking him down to his mother's dungeon (that's right, Grendel lived in his mother's dungeon. Probably in the basement.), and defeating Grendel's mother with a huge sword. He later went on to become a powerful and wise king, before slaying and being slain by an unnamed dragon.
Organizations: Some Anglo-Saxon Heroes were trained as soldiers to defend their country and king. They typically stay there as part of their military. Others were trained by an order of Paladins Known as the Northern Saints. They will either stay there to defend it or go out and do good deeds in the name of their Order.

NPC Reaction
NPCs are usually glad to see an Anglo-Saxon Hero, as their reputation as the helpers of towns assaulted by vile beasts is fairly well-known. So linked are the concepts of the Anglo-Saxon Hero and their exploits that NPCs may be surprised to see them in times of peace. Sometimes, however, local authorities resent Anglo-Saxon Heroes, as they feel they reduce confidence in their ability to protect their citizens.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
Adaptation: As DnD is, at least in part about killing large monsters, Anglo-Saxon Heroes should fit in rather nicely. The 'Anglo-Saxon' is more of a title or suggestion, they probably won't really be Anglo-Saxons, although there could be some sort of in-game approximation.
Encounters: An Anglo-Saxon Hero NPC is likely tied to a kingdom or ruler, probably all of this class will be found in one nation, which would have some similarities to England in the late first millennium. It's also possible that they will encounter him on their travels, in which case they will probably aid them, especially if aid means kill something large, evil, or both.

Sample Encounter
EL 11: Note: I had no way of knowing how much money he should have, so he has only basic Armor and Weapons.


Athelwulf
Lawful Good/Male/Human/Warblade4/Paladin1/Anglo-Saxon Hero5/
Init +1, Senses: Listen +1, Spot +1,
LanguagesCommon
------------------------------------------------
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed (18)
hp 90( HD)
Fort +13, Ref +2, Will +3
------------------------------------------------
Speed20 ft. (6 squares)
Melee
Two-Handed Weapon
Large Greatsword +13 3d6+3 19-20*2
Large Greatsword +11 3d6+3 19-20*2 +Snap kick +11 1d8+2 *2
Full attack: Large Greatsword +13 +8 3d6+3 19-20*2
Large Greatsword +11 +6 3d6+3 19-20*2 + Snap kick +11 1d8+2 *2

One-handed weapon+ unarmed attack
Large Longsword +13 2d6+3 19-20*2
Full Attack: Large Longsword +11 +6 2d6+3 19-20*2 + Unarmed Strike +11 1d8+2 *2 + Snap kick +11 1d8+2 *2

Base Atk +13, Grp +14
Atk OptionsManeuvers: Steel Wind, Steely Strike, Charging Minotaur, Stone Bones, Stone Dragon's Fury, Mountain Hammer, Lightning Recovery, Iron Heart Focus 6 maneuvers readied
Stances:Punishing stance, Stonefoot Stance, Iron Heart Focus
Smite Evil 1/day, Smite Favored Enemy 2/day
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities Detect Evil
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 12
SQ Battle Clarity, Aura of Good, Uncanny Dodge, Battle Ardor, Amazing Grapple, War Grapple, Favored Enemy (Dragon),
FeatsImproved Unarmed Strike, Armor Proficiency (Heavy), Superior Unarmed Strike, Snap Kick, Vital Recovery
Skills Climb +14 Swim +14 Jump +14 Martial lore +9 Sense Motive +2 Ride +2
Possessions

[Benly]

REDEEMER OF REGRETS

"You've seen what bitter rewards you stand to reap. Let me give you another chance."

It is a rare and fortunate individual who dies with no regrets. For those who die regretting their failures but unable to redeem themselves, the afterlife is without hope - a gray waste, a formless limbo, or worse yet, a feast of endless wickedness prepared for a soul that once was and holding no savor for the one who comes to be served. Then, too, even those without sin die wondering if they could have done more, if there only could have been one last opportunity.

The redeemer of regrets returns the woeful dead briefly to the world, granting them the second chance they desire. The deeds carried out by souls in her service are carried with them just as their deeds in life are, giving those who regret their decisions in life the chance to atone for them in the physical world. In return, the redeemer gains the service of protectors and allies for whom death holds no fear and no mysteries, dedicated to helping her in the cause of good.

Becoming a Redeemer of Regrets
Every redeemer of regrets, by necessity, has the ability to animate the dead as zombies or skeletons, even if they do not use that ability before becoming a redeemer. Good-aligned clerics with the Death domain frequently become redeemers, although few other clerics do. Dread necromancers who attain a good alignment are also strongly drawn to this class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any good
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks
Special: Must be able to either cast animate dead as a spell or use animate dead as a spell-like ability

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Silver Redemption, speak with dead|-

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Crystal Redemption|+1 existing class level

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Opal Redemption|+1 existing class level

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Malachite Redemption|+1 existing class level

5th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Golden Redemption|+1 existing class level

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Diamond Redemption|+1 existing class level

7th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Garnet Redemption|+1 existing class level

8th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Topaz Redemption|+1 existing class level

9th|

+4

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Platinum Redemption|+1 existing class level

10th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Marble Redemption|+1 existing class level[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A redeemer of regrets does not gain any additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Silver Redemption: The redeemer of regrets learns to animate the dead through the partial reunion of the soul with the body, rather than puppeteering corpses by means of negative energy. When the redeemer of regrets prepares or casts animate dead or uses it as a spell-like ability, she may choose to treat it as a spell with the (good) descriptor rather than the evil descriptor. Doing this changes the spell's effects in ways that become more dramatic as the character advances.
The initial changes are subtle but profound. When the redeemer of regrets casts or uses animate dead with the (good) descriptor, the zombies or skeletons created by the spell are of the deathless type (detailed in Book of Exalted Deeds) rather than the undead type. In addition, they are not mindless, and are treated as having an intelligence of 10 or average intelligence for the species of the corpse in life, whichever is lower. The deathless's memories of life are hazy, but sufficient to retain identity and personality. While this gives the deathless the ability to understand and carry out complex directions, it does not change the feats or skills available to skeletons or zombies created in this way (but see Golden Redemption below.)
If the redeemer of regrets has any class features (but not feats) that specifically alter her abilities to create undead with animate dead or control undead created by animate dead, she may treat those features as applying to deathless created by animate dead. If the character requires a valuable material component to cast animate dead, it is replaced with a quantity of pearls or diamonds with value equal to the value of components normally required for the spell.
Perhaps the most important change is that a creature to be animated as a deathless with animate dead may choose not to heed the call, just as a creature to be returned to life by other spells may. In general, it may be assumed that creatures with no strong reason to refuse the redeemer of regrets' service will accept animation. Animating creatures which were opposed to the redeemer of regrets in life but did not have a personal vendetta and were not wronged by her in life (such as soldiers from an opposing army or animals which were slain by the redeemer's party after attacking first) require a successful Knowledge (religion) check with a DC equal to (15 + the creature's HD) to be convinced to join the redeemer's service. Creatures with a strong personal grudge against the redeemer or her cause will normally not accept animation unless there is an overpowering common cause, which should be adjudicated on a case by case basis. If the reanimation fails, the spell's material components are not consumed. A deathless who no longer wishes to serve the redeemer of regrets may choose to instantly discorporate its material body and return to the afterlife, although usually they will speak to the redeemer of regrets about their concerns before abandoning her.
A redeemer of regrets does not lose the ability to cast animate dead in its normal form. However, doing so is abhorrent to the forces that empower her, and a redeemer of regrets who voluntarily uses animate dead to create undead, or any spell that creates evil undead, loses the ability to cast it as a (good) spell and all associated abilities until an atonement is performed. At the discretion of the DM, a redeemer who joins the class with feats which exclusively apply to the creation of undead may replace those feats with other feats she could have chosen at the time that she learned them.

Speak With Dead: A redeemer of regrets learns to better understand the fallen before reanimating them. If the redeemer of regrets is able to cast spells, speak with dead is added to her class list, spellbook, and/or spells known as applicable. If she is not a spellcaster, she gains the ability to use speak with dead twice per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to her hit dice.

Crystal Redemption: As the redeemer of regrets grows, the spirits of the deathless in her service become purified and clarified, granting them strength and vitality. When the character creates deathless with animate dead or other spells or spell-like abilities, the deathless created gain a +4 sacred bonus to Strength and +2 hit points per hit die.

Opal Redemption: The growing strength of the redeemer of regrets' convictions strengthens her deathless servants' bonds to the material world. Deathless created by the character gain +4 turn resistance.

Malachite Redemption: The deathless know how rare a second chance is, and move swiftly to seize on theirs. Deathless created by the character gain +4 to initiative, and all their movement speeds increase by +10 feet.

Golden Redemption: Thanks to the redeemer of regrets' growing experience in reuniting lost souls with their former bodies, the deathless she creates retain an increased portion of their memories of life. Creatures which had class levels in life may be reanimated with hit dice equal to their hit dice in life including class levels. Creatures which had above-average intelligence in life are reanimated with their full intelligence, and deathless created by the redeemer of regrets now gain feats and skills normally in accordance with their deathless HD. These feats and skills are normally chosen by the DM, and will tend to reflect the creature's abilities and proclivities in life. For example, former fighters might have Power Attack and its related feats, rangers might have two-weapon fighting or archery feats, while a wizard might have more esoteric feats such as Magical Training (Player's Guide to Faerun) or devotion feats (Complete Champion) which grant him magic-like abilities.

Diamond Redemption: Having returned the deathless to the material world, the redeemer of regrets' strength helps keep them there long enough to see their redemption carried out. Deathless created by the character increase their natural armor bonus by +2.

Garnet Redemption: At this level, the burning need for salvation that drives the redeemer's deathless servants becomes strong enough to manifest as a physical force. The melee attacks of any deathless created by the redeemer of regrets deal an extra 1d6 fire damage.

Topaz Redemption: The deathless created by a redeemer of this power do not return quietly to the night when evil is at hand. When a deathless created by the character is destroyed, it may choose to explode in a burst of brilliant energy. All non-deathless creatures in this burst except for the redeemer of regrets that created the deathless take 1d6 points of sacred damage per 2 HD of the deathless creature. This damage may be halved with a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the deathless's HD + the deathless's Cha bonus).

Platinum Redemption: At this point, the deathless created by the redeemer of regrets take on certain qualities of celestial creatures. Deathless created by the character gain DR, SR, and energy resistance equal to that granted a celestial creature of the same HD as the deathless creature.

Marble Redemption: The final revelation achieved by the redeemer of regrets is not one of glory, but of humility. The character no longer requires material components to cast animate dead if it is cast to create deathless.


Playing A Redeemer Of Regrets
You have the opportunity to give the greatest gift imaginable: a second chance where none would otherwise be possible. While the deathless you create serve you loyally, they do so in the name of a higher cause, or at least their own redemption. Abusing their loyalty would be a betrayal of enormous scope. On the other hand, your troops do not fear death; they know that whatever fate it brings them will be better than it could have been for their actions in your service.
Some of your deathless soldiers may have more specific regrets from life that they wish to see assuaged, especially as they remember more of their past selves at higher levels. When you have the opportunity between grand adventures, it behooves you to help them with these concerns. Not every regret is a matter of cosmic importance, but each one can gnaw at the soul.
It may seem strange that you can call on the soul of a warrior your allies cut down in combat to join your cause. An important matter to remember is that most evil individuals are not devoted to evil as a moral cause, and only the most fiendish enjoy what awaits them in the Abyss or the Nine Hells. From the eternal perspective of the afterlife, the individual you address with your animate dead has had plenty of time to consider his life and the state of his soul, and if your Knowledge (religion) check is passed, it is presumed that you have correctly assessed him as having come to regret it. In the case of animals and creatures of animal intelligence, the matter is simpler; conflict and death are part of nature, and if the conflict was one the creature understands, it does not hold a grudge into death.
Combat: The backbone of your strength as a redeemer of regrets is, of course, the deathless you have reanimated. As you grow in experience, they grow ever more powerful. Your soldiers' equipment is a matter to be considered; even humanoid deathless gain natural attacks when reanimated, but unlike mindless undead minions, the deathless are capable of making good use of quality equipment and complicated tactics. You also continue to advance your spellcasting as a redeemer of regrets, and can potentially combine your spellcasting with your troops to great effect. In addition to the usual buffs and healing, consider using Fortitude-targeting area spells such as stinking cloud to which the deathless are immune but enemies probably are not to give your deathless allies an enormous advantage.
Advancement: As a spellcaster, it is probably in your best interest to focus on feats and advancement that complement your spellcasting. If you don't have it already, you could benefit immensely from adding consecrate to your spell list, possibly through the Celestial domain (Book of Exalted Deeds) or the Deathless domain (Eberron Campaign Setting). The Deathless domain in particular, although rare, offers a few spells which create different forms of deathless and thus benefit directly from your class abilities.

Redeemers Of Regrets In The World
It's creepy, all right, I won't deny that. Walking bones is walking bones, no matter how they're polished. Thing is, these bones talk, they laugh - a few of them tell dirty jokes like old soldiers. I guess if you've gotta be bones someday, there's worse ways to do it.

- Mercenary serving alongside a redeemer of regrets.

Let's face it - animated corpses are creepy. Deathless have some advantages in this regard; they tend to dry and stiffen rather than decomposing, thanks to the positive energy flowing through them, and your intelligent deathless have an alertness and vitality that is less unsettling than the blank shamble of undead skeletons and zombies. Despite all this, they are still walking corpses, and most people's first reactions will not be positive. Many people will not understand the difference between what you do and genuine necromancy; at best, they may perceive you as a "white necromancer" who does unsavory things in the name of good. Your best bet is to learn to accept that and show what you are through deeds - you have nothing to hide.
Daily Life: Your daily life is much as it might be for any other adventurer in your class, modified by the concerns of your deathless followers and your general preoccupation with the concerns of the dead. In many ways, being a leader of deathless is like responsible for any other small group, requiring you to see to your men's concerns and keep them organized. On the other hand, with troops that don't eat, sleep, or fear death, many common logistical and morale concerns are severely mitigated.
Notables: Redeemers of regrets tend to avoid the limelight thanks to the distrust many have for them. One exception is Balo the Second Chance, a halfling redeemer who lives in a great city fraught with crime. Balo uses his abilities to contact murder victims and gives them a chance to bring their killers to justice. Some of his "clients" return to the grave when their case is resolved; others remain to help protect other citizens from becoming victims as they did. As a result of his work, Balo has become something of a local celebrity.
Organizations: There are few if any organizations specifically devoted to redeemers of regrets. However, many will find themselves affiliated with the churches of good or neutral gods that watch over the dead - psychopomps, shepherds of the dead, and comforters of the weary. Others, especially arcane redeemers of regrets, fall in with good-aligned military organizations, giving the most loyal soldiers a chance to serve their cause beyond the grave.

NPC Reaction
As previously mentioned, the uninformed will tend to mistake redeemers of regrets for necromancers and distrust or hate them. Those communities and organizations that understand the redeemer's nature, however, will often welcome redeemers both as guardians and as consolers of the bereaved. Evil communities tend not to get along very well with redeemers of regrets for fairly obvious reasons.

Redeemers Of Regrets In The Game
Like any character focused around the deployment of minions, the redeemer of regrets can be a potential logistical headache for campaigns that are unprepared for it. One thing that can be useful to prevent things from getting out of hand is for the redeemer to restrict herself to a relatively small number of elite followers. The Golden Redemption in particular facilitates this, allowing for a smaller number of capable, high-HD deathless without having to resort to giants and other huge beasts that fill up the battlefield. While the redeemer is herself primarily a spellcaster and fills any of the roles a spellcaster might, her deathless followers can fill a more physical role, serving as "tanks" or tactical assistance. They are nowhere near as powerful as living adventurers of their level, and can't replace a "real" fighter-type PC on the battlefield, but as tactical support, flankers, and other "fill-in" roles they can provide a great boost.
Adaptation: In Eberron, redeemers of regrets can serve most obviously as followers of the Undying Court. Since they revere the deathless as semi-divine figures, the Undying Court's followers might treat the lesser deathless created by redeemers of regrets as a sort of inherently purifying and redemptive state that helps the soul improve. In the Forgotten Realms, they might find an unexpected home in the church of Ilmater, giving of themselves to ease the otherwise eternal suffering of the regretful dead.
Encounters: One of the deathless followers of a redeemer of regrets committed a grievous wrong against a PC during his life. The redeemer approaches the PC to find out what, if anything, can be done to redress this crime.

Spoiler

Show

This is my first entry in one of the PrC contests. Many of the class's abilities directly mirror the effects of the Corpsecrafter line of feats; the goal of the class is to allow a good-aligned character more or less equivalent to a genuine necromancer in his capabilities. While the deathless created by a redeemer of regrets are considerably more powerful than the skeletons and zombies of a normal necromancer, this is intended at least in part to compensate for the loss of other necromancer advantages: Create Undead, Awaken Undead, and Vile Death specifically, but there are a variety of support feats, spells, and items for necromancers that simply don't exist for deathless.

[Eurus]

Iron Saint



"No excuses. No sympathy. No mercy. You've done enough damage already. This ends here. Forgive me."
--White River, Iron Saint

Sometimes, the best that one can hope for is the lesser of two evils. Sometimes, people just need to die. That is the philosophy of the Iron Saints, a sect of assassins called in to kill when all other options have failed. Although held to a strict code of ethics, the Saints are a secular group; they can be found in the employ of almost any group as long as they deem the task at hand worthy.

They are called "Iron" both because of their combat prowess, and because of the unflinching, unemotional nature that they are trained to display at all times. Apprentice Saints are exposed to countless horrors in order to harden them to the evils of the world, leaving them almost impossible to distract or shock and utterly merciless in their executions. Some additionally refer to them as "Redeemers" due to their motto: Redemptio Ex Mortem.

Although all groups of Saints share common goals and similar rules, they are not identical and do not necessarily work together. The details of their dogma vary from group to group; one band of Saints might take vows of asceticism and emerge from the wilderness only to take on a task, while another might pledge itself to the defense of a particular kingdom and be granted noble titles.

BECOMING AN IRON SAINT
Iron Saints are normally trained from childhood in order to ensure their strength of will. Some groups only accept orphans as Saints, believing that family ties keep one from achieving the purity of mind necessary for their work. Regardless, apprentice Saints are often kept busy with almost constant training for years, until they come of age. It is possible, but very rare, for an adult who the Saints deem to be of tremendous mental fortitude and ethical purity to be allowed to take the training as well, in which case their apprenticeship is usually condensed.

Over the last year of training, the apprentice will be subjected to a battery of tests, some of which she may not even be aware of. In addition to testing her willpower and combat skill, the order also tests her morals; an apprentice who is found to be too quick to resort to execution or otherwise falls short of the ethical code of the Saints will be summarily banished from the order (often with no explanation given). One who passes every test is then allowed to take the vows of the Saints, but remains a probationary member until successfully completing her first mission.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Good. Some Saints work within the laws of society, while others do not, but all are required to prove their morality.
BAB: +4
Feats: Iron Will, Martial Weapon Proficiency
Special: Must be accepted into the order by another Saint.

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Religion, Local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|Code of Conduct, Mercy Kill +1d6

2nd|

+2

|

+0

|

+3

|

+3

|Fear Not Death

3rd|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|No Escape, Mercy Kill +2d6

4th|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Pierce Deception

5th|

+5

|

+1

|

+4

|

+4

|Mercy Kill (undead) +3d6, Mettle

6th|

+6

|

+2

|

+5

|

+5

|No Mercy

7th|

+7

|

+2

|

+5

|

+5

|Infallibility, Mercy Kill +4d6

8th|

+8

|

+2

|

+6

|

+6

|Implacability

9th|

+9

|

+3

|

+6

|

+6

|Mercy Kill (penetrating) +5d6

10th|

+10

|

+3

|

+7

|

+7

|Beyond Death[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An Iron Saint gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Code of Conduct: A Saint is no mere killer, but accepts death as a necessary tool in the arsenal of good. She must swear to resort to killing a sentient creature only when absolutely necessary in order to prevent a greater evil, when she is aware of no possible alternatives. However, if these circumstances are met, and the Saint believes themselves capable, they must not fail to act; a Saint who is not willing to kill in order to prevent greater evil is at fault just as much as one who is overeager. A Saint who violates either of these rules and fails to atone properly draws the eternal ire of her comrades (see Ex-Iron Saints below).

Mercy Kill (Ex): A Saint is trained to kill not only efficiently, but humanely, without causing unnecessary pain. As an immediate action (which becomes a swift action if taken on her own turn), a Saint may designate her next attack this round to be a mercy killing. The attack inflicts extra damage starting at +1d6 and increasing by 1d6 every other level thereafter. If, after taking damage from this attack, the target is below half of their maximum hit points, they must make an immediate fortitude save throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the Saint's hit dice + the Saint's Wis modifier) or die painlessly. Alternately, the Saint may choose to knock them unconscious instead of killing them, in which case they remain out for at least an hour. A target that is flat-footed takes a -2 penalty to this save. Damage from this ability is not considered precision-based, and so works even on undead and constructs.

At 5th level, a Saint may use this ability even on the undead, bypassing their normal immunity. At 9th level, a mercy killing strike bypasses all forms of damage reduction and any immunity to death effects that the target has.

Fear Not Death (Ex): As unflinching as the iron for which they are named, a Saint fears nothing; especially not death. This grants them a calm poise that borders on the supernatural, and is itself frightening to behold. Upon reaching 2nd level in this class, a Saint becomes immune to all forms of fear, both mundane and supernatural. Additionally, she gains a bonus to armor class and to all saving throws against death effects equal to her Wisdom modifier.

No Escape (Ex): At 3rd level, a Saint may mark a single target once per encounter as a free action, vowing to see them dead. A target marked in this way will almost certainly find it difficult to be rid of the Saint; the Saint gains a +4 bonus to saving throws against the target's spells or abilities, a bonus to attack and damage rolls against the target equal to her Wisdom modifier, and forces the target to make a Will save (DC 12 + 1/2 the Saint's hit dice + the Saint's Wis modifier) if they attempt to magically transport themselves away from the Saint in any way or else automatically fail to do so. These effects last for the duration of the encounter. If the target is killed, the Saint may mark another target, otherwise the use of this ability refreshes with each new encounter.

Pierce Deception (Ex): The Saints cannot be bargained with, and they cannot be tricked. A Saint of 4th level or higher may spend a move action to clear and focus her mind, gaining an almost supernaturally accurate awareness of her surroundings. He gains blindsense out to 60 feet and benefits from true seeing until the end of her next turn. As a standard action, the Saint may attempt to shatter such deceptions in order to benefit her allies; he may make a dispel check using her hit dice as her caster level against any illusionary effects that he can perceive and any charm or compulsion effects on any creatures that she can perceive. This may dispel even supernatural effects (treat as having a CL equal to their creator's hit dice).

Mettle (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a Saint can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If she makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), she instead completely negates the effect. An
unconscious or sleeping Saint does not gain the benefit of mettle.

No Mercy (Ex): It is natural to feel compassion and pity, even for the wicked. A Saint must be beyond such base impulses, for the forces of evil will only seek to exploit them. At 6th level, a Saint becomes nearly sociopathic in her brutal efficiency. When attacking a foe that she has marked (see "No Escape" above), the Saint may spend a single swift action to apply her bonus damage from Mercy Kill to every attack that she makes on that foe for one round. The target need make only one save against death or unconsciousness no matter how many attacks hit, but takes a -1 penalty to that save for every attack that hits beyond the first. Additionally, the Saint learns the ability to execute a coup de grace as a swift action on any target, marked or not.

Infallibility (Ex): Doubt and regret are two of a Saint's greatest foes, and resisting both is a lifelong struggle. The forces of evil are convincing indeed, and a Saint who allows them purchase may be swiftly overwhelmed by despair. To avoid this, the Saint must banish any trace of vulnerability from her mind; once she has decided on a course of action, no force may convince him otherwise. At 7th level, a Saint may ignore any mind-affecting abilities that she chooses; she could still choose to be affected by a friendly bard's Inspire Courage ability, but ignore an enemy mage's dominate person.

Implacability (Su): At 8th level, a Saint's tenacity is legendary. Fueled by righteous fervor and the cold necessity to do what must be done, she brushes aside any mortal magic that dares to stand in her way like so many cobwebs. The Saint gains spell resistance equal to 10 + her hit dice + her Wisdom modifier. As a move action, she may pit her spell resistance against the caster level of any ongoing magical effect that she is in contact with the effect or target of, or within the area of, even if that spell did not normally allow spell resistance. If the caster level check fails to overcome her resistance, the spell effect ends immediately.

Beyond Death (Su): A Saint knows that even death is not enough to stop some creatures of darkness. At 10th level, she may engage in that most vile of acts - the rending of a creature's soul - in order to prevent it from ever returning to do more evil. While not destroyed outright, the soul is sliced to tatters, little more than a wisp with far too little strength to be restored to life by anything short of direct divine intervention or artifact-level magic. This allows her to even permanently destroy ghosts, vampires, liches, and other "unkillable" creatures.

Using this ability on a creature that she has personally killed requires no additional action on the Saint's part, merely the conscious decision to do so. Otherwise, she may perform a one-minute ritual over a dead foe (or in the spot where it was killed, if no body remains) if no more than an hour has passed since the death.


PLAYING AN IRON SAINT
Though your blade may be bloodied more often than you would wish, you are the necessary force that allows the good people of the world to sleep soundly at night. The line separating your light from the darkness is a fine one, and you must not let it blur at any cost. There is no room for doubt, remorse, or pity for the wicked once your hand has been forced. Above all else, you must remember that.

But if you are merciless in your dealings with the wicked, you must be noble in your dealings with the rest. Remember that bloodshed is always the option of last resort, and even an unkind soul may hold a spark of light. You will always be separate from the rest of society, but that does not make you superior to them; it is for them that you fight, and a Saint who forgets this is doomed to cross the line.

Combat: A Saint's first priority should be avoiding combat whenever feasible. But once battle begins, end it quickly. Mark the most dangerous enemy with your No Escape ability, then bring him down as swiftly as possible before repeating the process on the next. Nonlethal measures are sometimes appropriate, but only if one can be certain that justice will be carried out and that the subdued foe will not be at risk of returning to evil. A Saint may give second chances, but never a third.
Advancement: For all that they might despise it, a Saint's business is killing. They should generally focus on feats and classes that enable them to do so more effectively. Social skills are an important investment to help reduce the amount of killing required of them, however.
Resources: While the details depend on the setting, a Saint can usually count on the resources of whatever specific order he came from. Generally this means access to information whenever available and relevant to his missions, access to certain magical services (especially healing) at cost, and possibly even the loan of minor magical items if required for his current task. The Saints believe that a member should not rely on the order, but will still provide what aid they can.

IRON SAINTS IN THE WORLD
"Such a nice girl, I didn't think she had it in her... She's a hero alright, no matter what anyone says, but I'm glad she's gone. Once you've seen a person kill like that... it's not something you can forget."
--Goody Brownlock, halfling governess

An Iron Saint knows that there is no place for herself in the world she wishes to create, and so is constantly on the move. Drawn to trouble, a moment's peace is rare for her to find, so many develop a powerful appreciation for the rare moments of beauty in the endless bloody chaos and take up artistic hobbies; music is popular, since it can be practiced even on the road.
Daily Life: For an Iron Saint, life revolves around the hunt. When not actively on a mission, she is generally training for the next. Luxury is frowned upon, even by those groups that fall short of actual asceticism, and vice even moreso, making most Saints come across as annoyingly straightedge to others.
Notables: As legend would have it, the first Saint - and founder of the first order - was the "Martyr in White," a man (or possibly woman) about which little is known save for the improbable number of kills attributed to him/her (so many that some theorize that there may have been multiple Martyrs), and the depth of his faith. It is said that when the Martyr finally lay dying of poison days after completing his final mission, he was visited by a celestial being who absolved him and preemptively did the same for all future Saints, before carrying the Martyr up bodily to the afterlife.
Organizations: The Furies are a well-known order of Saints, controversial for their unusual devotion to the religious order of Saint Cuthbert as opposed to the non-denominational piety of most orders. Some go so far as to denounce them outright, but the all-female (and all-human, although they claim no bias to be responsible for this) order remains one of the most feared and respected of any group of Saints.

NPC Reaction
The Saints are not exactly high-profile, mostly due to their own efforts, so they tend to have an easy time passing under the radar -- until their skills are needed. Her cover blown, a Saint can sometimes find herself praised as a hero, for a time. Soon enough, gratitude turns to uneasiness and she departs for the next evildoer in need of killing, the archetypal wandering warrior.

IRON SAINTS IN THE GAME
Statistically, a Saint fills the same niche as a rogue in that it serves as a nonmagical melee assassin without significant ability to absorb damage, but without the ability to handle traps. In place of that, they have a much improved ability to avoid and pursue magical enemies.
Adaptation: While it is important to the theme of the class that the Saints belong to some organization, the exact nature of the organizations in question are deliberately vague. Whether they are a covert underground band of vigilantes or a state-sponsored secret police squad is up to the DM and the player.
Encounters: If a group of PCs meets a Saint in the field, it will hopefully be because the two have similar goals. Saints are not adverse to temporarily joining with allies to achieve a mission, but will often take their leave after. It is possible, of course, that the party is the target of the Saint's mission or stands between her and her target, in which case they can likely expect one warning before the Saint decides that they too are enemies.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Goodwife


Put care and love into all you do, and you'll find love and care has been put in you! - Grandmother Cicely, the Tuckerville Blessing

There is love in everything. For it is love, if only of itself, that keeps a thing real and existing. Where there is love there is spirit. And where there is spirit, there are the Goodwives. Caring beyond measure is what fuels her and her abilities, and awakes in the very ground beneath your feet and the eaves above your head. That all things deserve love and care is her philosophy. If a child is ill, stay with it, if an item is broken, mend it. Whether it is the dog lying dead in the street, the child struck by illness, or a cracked pot abandoned, she will offer up a prayer to it and ceremoniously bury, burn, or otherwise dispose of it as needed with respect. She knows she cannot care for all, but that if all cared, existence would be a better place. She does what she can, and does it with all her heart and soul.

This intense dedication attracts small gods to her, and draws fey and spirits out of hiding, who whisper their secrets and wisdom, knowing she will never abuse her knowledge.


Becoming A Goodwife
One seems destined to become a goodwife as much it is chosen. She must with all her heart choose to dedicate herself to the aiding and furthering of family and community. Goodwives simply Care, for all things, from worms and pins to entire civilizations.

Most begin as urban spirit shamans, though even the wilds are homes to others, and thus the Goodwife has sway. Less commonly shugenja are attracted to the class once learning that all things have souls or avatars to them, much like the elementals they connect with. Druids and clerics rarely take levels in goodwife, though with effort are capable.


Hit Dice: d6

Entry Requirements
Alignment: Any good
Feat: Sacred Vow
Skills: Craft (any) 8 ranks, Heal 4 ranks, Knowledge (local) 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks
Special: Must be a female of your race who worships no deity, though those that follow a concept or philosophy devoid of a specific god may take this class.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells Per Day

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Goodwife's Blessing, Out of the Woodwork, Second Sight|-

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|By Oak, Ash and Thorn, Spontaneous Animation|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Lady of the Home, Small Gods|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Incite the Spirits|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Knock on Wood, Possessive Possession|-

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Dancing Weapon, Small Gods (duo)|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Goodwife's Exorcism|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

8th|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Teraphim Form|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

9th|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Small Gods (trio), Spirit of the Home|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

10th|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|

+7

|Genius Loci|-[/table]

Class Skills
The Goodwife's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (architecture and engineering/local/nature/religion) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Rope (Dex)
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + int

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Goodwife prestige class.

Home

Spoiler

Show

For the purpose of this class, the Home is the house and lands of a specific individual who lives within the home and tends the land without. A household is those who share these specific quarters and chores with the individual. These may be family, boarders, farm hands and similar.

A king for instance may own the land about his castle while the peasants til it, but the land they care for is considered theirs for the purpose of a goodwife's blessings and abilities.

Teraphim

Spoiler

Show

For the purpose of this class Teraphim are good-aligned creatures of the material plane with a spark of the divine to them, be it through a connection to a deity or of the natural order. Many of the former are of Estanna, the goddess of home and hearth, or other deities of family and community. Most are natural however, living in the very trees and stones.

The majority have little to no power, but a Goodwife can awaken or call forth the powerful amongst them to protect and aid.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Goodwifes gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day: On every level except 1st, 5th and 10th, when a new Goodwife level is gained, she gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of Goodwife to the level of whatever other divine spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If a Goodwife had more than one divine spellcasting class before she became a goodwife, she must decide to which class she adds each level of goodwife for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Goodwife's Blessing (Su): The blessing of a Goodwife is a most powerful yet subtle gift. It takes a full round action that allows for an attack of opportunity. It is permanent when used upon a home, unless one casts Curse on the blessed home, which negates the benefits of the blessing but effects it in no other way. To dispell the blessing with a Curse the curser must succeed on an opposed caster level check. A Goodwife's caster level is equal to her HD for the specific purpose of her blessing.
An individual may be blessed as well, though this blessing only lasts for 1d4 hours, unlike a home.

Only one blessing may be given per individual or home as a touch with no saving throw, though there is no limit to how many homes or individuals that may be blessed. At 5th level she may grant two blessings at the same time with a single touch. At 10th level three blessings. Another goodwife may add her own blessing to an existing one only if permitted by another Goodwife. Otherwise she must make an opposed caster level check against the previous goodwife's blessing to add her own.

Another goodwife or one with True Seeing or Second Sight may see fingerprints, a kiss, or specific markings upon the individual, doorframe or equivalent, glowing with a faint light as indication of the blessing. Each mark is different for each Goodwife, who instinctively knows what manner of blessing is upon it by the type of mark. If the mark flickers like an angered fire however she knows that the blessing was revoked and reversed.

This occurs whenever the blessed individual purposely harms or kills the goodwife, or with full knowledge of their deeds performs a strongly evil act within that household. This blessing is only reversed for the adults in the household. Innocents, such as children, pets and livestock are unaffected by the reversal of the blessing, though no longer gain the benefits of the blessing.

{table=head]Goodwife Level|Target
1|Individual/Tent/Wagon
2|Immediate Family/Shack/Carriage
3|Hovel
4|Cottage/*Extended family
5|House
6|Manor
7|Estate
8|Castle
9|**Village
10|**Town
[/table]
* 2d6 plus one additional member per Goodwife level
** This does not effect the entire village or town, just those of good alignment who are well disposed towards the blessed family.

Types of Blessings

Cooperation: This blessing sees that folks get along better than most, and making work as if play. Whenever the Aid Another action is used, the bonus to the check is increased to +4. When the Goodwife reaches 6th level this bonus increases to +6.
Reversal - The household experiences great annoyance with others and if one is so inclined to attempt to aid the other the bonuses become a penalty.

Energized: This blessing puts a spring in the step of those within the household, who gain a 5-foot bonus to their speed as long as they stay within the home. They also make Fortitude-based checks with a +1 bonus. At 6th level these bonuses double. At 9th level the base bonus triples.
Reversal - Bonus is inverted, and they take a -5 foot penalty to all speed types and Fortitude-based saves are made at a -1 penalty.

Homefires: This blessing allows a single coal to remain ever burning hot. It is not enough to warm, but it can be used to start any fire. The sweet-scented smoke from these fires seem to clean the air, killing off all inhaled diseases within 60 feet. At sixth level this blessing grants those suffering from an inhaled disease a new saving throw each day. At ninth level those that inhale the scent are automatically cured of all inhaled diseases.
Reversal - No fire will start in this home, even if brought from another. However, if someone sets fire to the home it will still burn. Any attempt to produce a flame instead produces thick choking smoke throughout the house. See Smoke Effects.

Heartening: Any of those within the household that are reduced to negative hit points automatically stabilizes without a need for heal checks. At 6th level they gain the benefits of the Diehard feat. At 9th level they become immune to death effects in addition to the above.
Reversal - Those in the home no longer automatically stabilize. A check must be made as normal. If the check is successful to stabilize them they remain in a coma until returned to full hit points.

Parting: This blessing allows all to see and hear the departed spirit of a loved one. They may say their goodbyes, and the spirit may impart to them information they could not remember or were forced to keep secret through spells or similar. This acts as the Spirit Sense feat, and is determined by the Wisdom modifier of the Goodwife. The time granted to speak with the spirit doubles at 6th level, and the base time triples at 9th level.
Reversal - The departing spirit is instead a mischievous fey creature posing as the spirit and will give them false fortunes that have them performing ridiculous tasks. He will not leave, but berates them and scolds them for their misdeeds in life.

Pleasantry: A Goodwife may use prestidigitation at will, though the effect is permanent. She may use this to permanently clean an area, recolor it, perfume, enhance taste.
Reversal - The effects are reversed for the prestidigitation. An area blessed to smell sweet now possesses a permanently foul aroma, a clean area is now filthy with grime and trash, colors clash distastefully and food tastes foul and unappetizing (though is still perfectly edible).

Warding: This blessing wards off a specific individual person or creature from entry. It might be a bounty hunter searching for a family member, a debt collector, or something as simple a as cat known for sneaking in and eating their food. This being may not have more HD than the Goodwife. There is nothing stopping the individual from hiring or in other ways enticing another to venture within in their stead.
Reversal - The individual or creature warded against instead finds themselves attracted to the household if they pass within eyeshot of it.

Wellstepped: Accidents are less likely to happen, all gaining a +2 bonus to Balance, Tumble and Craft checks as well as +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped. Falling or accidental damage is also halved. At 6th level these bonuses double. At 9th level the base bonus triple and
Reversal - All bonuses are nulled, and instead they take a penalty equal to the previous bonus. Falling damage is also doubled.

Out of the Woodwork (Ex): Wherever a Goodwife goes, benevolent spirits awaken, and kindly sprites leap forth, called Teraphim. These creatures are inherent in any environment, though a Goodwife may only bring forth the good-aligned amongst them. These Teraphim are only visible to a Goodwife, True Seeing or Second Sight. They are not true lifeforms as most know them, but the incarnation of objects, spirits of trees, and souls of home and area, alike to very minor genius loci. As such they cannot be detected as life, nor can be harmed, nor manipulated or effected by most magic. An object broken or burned beyond repair can destroy the inherent Teraphim, but there is always another to take its place.

If These Walls Could Talk:The Goodwife may make a Gather Information check wherever she goes that takes only 1d4+1 minutes as she questions the Teraphim. They never lie or mislead the Goodwife, nor are they effected by normal spells. However, within a home they may choose not to answer the Goodwife 20% of the time unless the owner and master of the house bids her enter and welcome. She must then spend a full round blessing the household.
If any of the household lies that has invited her in, there is a 50% that the spirits tell her its a lie and then tell her the truth of the matter.

Good Help: These beings may also be enticed to perform tasks for the Goodwife, acting as a permanent Unseen Servant spell in any area. This is not supernatural in nature and not effected by a Null Magic Field.

Second Sight: At 1st level a Goodwife gains the Second Sight feat even if she doesn't meet the prerequisites. See next post for feat specifics.

By Oak, Ash and Thorn: At 2nd level a Goodwife may attempt a DC 20 Diplomacy check once per day. If successful she can entice the spirits of the area to build her a temporary home within which to dwell. This cannot be built on Unhallowed ground, nor on the property of another who has not given permission. This acts as the Secure Shelter spell with an Alarm-type effect, the spirits letting her know if any come within 20 feet of the home.

At 7th level she may entice them to construct a Magnificent Mansion as the spell with a DC 30 Diplomacy check. This mansion requires an hour to construct.

The Goodwife must grant sanctuary within these structures to any non-evil creature that requests it. If an evil creature requests entrance the spirits will warn her of the being's nature. Their alignment cannot be hidden by any spells. Only one of divine rank may successfully hide it.
This is considered a Home for the purpose of the Goodwife's abilities, and thus may Bless her own home, give up spells to animate any object within, call forth a powerful teraphim to dwell within it (see Small Gods below) and similar. Each time a home crumbles she loses the benefits of the above (unless it was her person she blessed and not the home) and must perform such tasks with a new construction.

Unlike the spells, these structures last for as long as the Goodwife occupies it. If she leaves for 24 hours however it crumbles into the bracken, moulde and trash from which it was constructed. A Goodwife can announce her wish to depart and cause it to crumble immediately. The spirits know if she has been coerced to do so and will not obey.

Spontaneous Animation (Sp): At 2nd level Goodwife can awaken the spirit of an item. She can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast a variant Animated Object spell. It acts as Animate Object except you may only animate the following, depending on the level of the lost spell.

{table=head]Spell Level|Object Size
1st|1 Tiny or Animate Rope
2nd|1 Small or 2 Tiny
3rd|1 Medium, 2 Small or 4 Tiny
4th|1 Large, 2 Medium, 4 Small or 8 Tiny
5th|1 Huge, 2 Large, 4 Medium, 8 Small or 16 Tiny
6th|1 Animated Object Swarm, 1 Huge & 1 Large, 4 Large, 6 Medium, 10 Small or 18 Tiny
7th|1 Gargantuan, 2 Swarms, 2 Huge, 4 Large, 8 Medium, 16 Small, or 32 Tiny
8th|2 Gargantuan, 3 Swarms, 4 Huge, 8 Large, 14 Medium, 20 Small, or 40 Tiny
9th|1 Colossal, 3 Gargantuan, 4 Swarms, 6 Huge, 10 Large, 18 Medium, 26 Small, or 52 Tiny[/table]

Lady of the Home (Ex): A Goodwife's constant interaction with the kindly creatures of home and wild grant her the benefits of the Nymph's Kiss feat (BoED, p. 44).

Small Gods: At 3rd level a Goodwife can call forth a powerful Teraphim to guard and dedicate itself to the area indicated in the Blessing ability above.
This ritual takes 10 minutes, -1 minute for each Goodwife level to a minimum of 1 minute at 10th level. To summon the small god you must build a small altar or craft an idol (DC 20) specifically to the spirit and place it in an open place of reverence. You then leave an Offering. The teraphim will then appear and the household gains the Benefit. As long as the offering is made every day the Teraphim and its influence will remain.
The teraphim summoned by a goodwife are always good-aligned and will leave after 24 hours of an evil individual taking up ownership or permanent residence of such a home. If the original family remains as well, they do not leave, and continue granting them the bonus, but the evil individual is harassed and haunted, being constantly awoken. He cannot rest enough to cast spells and in the morning is Fatigued.
A goodwife or good-aligned being can attempt to gain special favor from the 'god' by a Pleasantry. The latter can be an object of worth, a specific action, or similar.
The caster level of effects provided by the Teraphim is equal to the Goodwife's HD unless otherwise specified. The affects of the Teraphim allow no saving throw, nor are effected by spell resistance unless specially mentioned.
At this level only one small god may occupy a household at any given time.
At 6th level two small gods may be enticed to cooperate within the same home. A home with two small gods is Protected from Evil.
At 9th level three small goods can occupy it. A home with three small gods is Hallowed.

See next post for Teraphim specifics.

Incite the Spirits (Ex): In a location blessed by a Goodwife she may rile up hundreds of spirits to aid her as a full round action, who act on her initiative the next round. They form an angry swarm with a space of 10 feet that automatically deal damage to the source of a Goodwife's ire within 60 feet. Only the source is harmed, others within being unharmed. The damage depends on how much of a fury a Goodwife can talk them into. She makes a DC 15 Diplomacy or Bluff check, her choice, which deals 1d6 damage. As well, those within the swarm must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Goodwife level + Cha mod) or be nauseated for 1 round. For every 5 additional points made to the bluff/diplomacy check the damage increases by 1d6 and the nausea DC by 1.
Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.
The swarm lasts for 1 round per Goodwife level. She may incite a swarm a number of times per day equal to her Charisma-modifier.

Knock On Wood (Ex): A Goodwife gains a +2 Luck bonus to Armor Class and saving throws while in contact with wood, living or dead. This may be standing upon a hardwood floor, touching a tree, or even wielding a wooden weapon or shield.

She also may re-roll any roll once per day after knowing the result by using a free action to knock on wood. The spirits of the wood then issue forth and guide her hand.

Any wooden weapon a goodwife uses becomes a Ghost Touch weapon.

Possessive Possession (Ex): A Goodwife gains a +4 bonus to resist possession, such as from a Ghost or Fiend. If she succeeds on her save she does not release it, but traps it within herself, where it is harmless. She can retain a number of spirits whose total HD does not surpass twice her own, and no single spirit can exceed her own base HD.

The Goodwife can send the creature into an object of her choosing by touching it, which comes to life as the Animate Object spell, but is permanent until the spirit succeeds on an opposed class level check, the goodwife adding her Charisma modifier, if any, against a DC of 10 + the possessing creature's HD + its Charisma-modifier (if any). It may attempt a save every 24 hours. The HD of the animated object cannot exceed the possessing spirit. It can be driven into any object within that limitation. The Goodwife may release the spirit at any time.

Dancing Weapon: At this level a goodwife can even awaken the spirit of weapons. Any weapon she wields gains the Dancing enhancement. It does not gain an enhancement bonus, but if mostly wooden is considered Ghost Touch as well. She may only use one Dancing weapon at a time.

Goodwife's Exorcism (Su): As a full-round action a Goodwife can force a possessing creature or spirit out of the body or object it inhabits (for example a ghost with the malevolence ability). To exorcise a possessing creature, she makes a class level check (also adding her Charisma modifier, if any) against a DC of 10 + the possessing creature's HD + its Charisma-modifier (if any). If her result equal or exceeds the DC, she succeeds in forcing the possessor from the body, with the normal results based on its method of possession. A spirit so exorcised cannot attempt to possess the same victim for 24 hours.

If you already possess an Exorcism ability from another class you gain a +4 bonus to your check.

Teraphim Form (Su): At 8th level a Goodwife takes on the stature or abilities of the household gods, chosen from below. Once she chooses which ability to use it lasts for 24 hours, though she can reverse and then later reuse the effects at any time as a free action. After 24 hours she can then choose a new ability.

Creepy-Crawly: She is affected as by the Spider Climb spell, though may even run while under the effects.

Hardness: The goodwife openly accepts the spirits of elements and may take on the hardness of any surface she is in contact with. For instance if in contact with a stone wall she would gain Hardness 15, or a hardwood floor Hardness 10. If she is in contact with several substances, the absorbs the most prevalent Hardness. A goodwife is never considered to have thickness beyond 1 inch.

Humble: She can shrink to any size below her normal size, even to Fine. The Goodwife's strength decreases by -2 for each size she shrinks, to a minimum of Str 1, and her Dex increases by +2.

Unseen: She gains Natural Invisibility. It works like greater invisibility (caster level equal to her HD) except this ability is not subject to the invisibility purge spell. She can be seen with Second Sight, See Invisibility, True Seeing and any spells that normally allow one to view an invisible creature.

Home Spirit (Su): At 9th level the Goodwife can pass through any inanimate physical obstruction as if it did not exist, though the width cannot exceed her speed. Even the tiniest space is enough to allow her entrance. She is not incorporeal however and weapons and spells harm her normally. She also cannot fly, so if she pass through a wall and out into a hole, she still falls.
Alternatively she can touch an object and move along to any other portion of it as if having teleported as a move action, though entrance and exit must be part of the same object. For instance she could touch the cellar wall of a house and transport to the attic, or the trunk of a tree to step out amongst its branches.

Genius Loci (Ex): At 10th level a Goodwife becomes a Teraphim herself and gains the Outsider (Native) type. She no longer ages, and is permanently invisible as the Greater Invisibility spell except for those she wishes to be seen by, or those with Second Sight, See Invisibility, True Seeing and similar.

Once per day a Goodwife can call all the small gods and spirits to enter and strengthen her. She gains a Divine Rank of 0 and becomes a Quasi-Deity for up to 1 minute per day. While in this mode she phases into the land, trees and buildings themselves, becoming one with them.
While in genius loci form the Goodwife cannot be harmed by physical or magical means as she has no true body or self to speak of. The area she can affect is out to 100 feet.
This area is considered Hallowed at a CL equal to her HD. She can set any temperature that is normal for the plane where the realm is located (for the Material Plane, any temperature from -20ºF to 120ºF), and fill the area with scents and sounds as she sees fit. Sounds can be no louder than one hundred humans could make, but not intelligible speech or harmful sound. Her ability to create scents is similar. Along with any other spells she knows, she may cast Animate Object, Move Earth, Reverse Gravity, or Stone Shape each round at will, CL equal to her HD. She may also block any teleportation in or out of this area.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Playing A Goodwife
Others walking along a street may see buildings, carts, pedestrians, pets and children. They then go home and live their life within the privacy of their dwellings. A Goodwife however knows there is no such thing as privacy. You know nothing of this thing called loneliness, for even in the deepest hole, the driest desert, the most obscure locale, you have continuous company.

You are surrounded, day and night, by the scampering of spirits, songs no other ear can hear, snatches of supposed secrets. Thought and form are in all places, and you wade through a sea of lifeforms most never see though they live a century.

For those solitary at heart, this constant flow might drive them mad, but you love constant company and the sense of community. It is a holiness to chat with a neighbor, a blessing to watch the little children in play. You have devoted your life to aiding all things, large and small, humanity and divinity. The elementals, eidolons, spirits and souls, these are both your flock and your saviors, aids and masters. Through them and with them you better the world.

Many goodwives are involved in the classic tales of a governess, nurse and the like who come into a household to bring magic and joy to its inhabitants. Essentially healing hearts and attitudes, setting them on the proper course before wishing them a fond farewell.

Despite the often subservient and lower class tasks you take upon yourself, you come and go as you please with none dictating your actions or lording over you. You are a servant to all, but a slave to none.
Combat: Goodwives give and take, ask and answer. This is the same for their strategies if diplomacy and kindness fail them. For her devotion all of creation that wishes for growth and betterment are at her disposal. She is protected by those that love her, both seen and unseen as she defends herself with their borrowed strength. Rarely does a Goodwife wish to slay, but if her opponent threatens even the smallest child she will not stay her hand.
Advancement: The ways of the goodwife is humbleness and dedication to civilization and its people, the person as well as the populace. She therefore tends to take feats and spells that buff, protect and defend others.
Resources: Few in all the world has as many willing to aid her as a Goodwife. The very ground she walks upon wishes to soften her step and the wind kisses her nose as it passes. This is not to mention peoples and races elsewhere, many who owe all they have to her benevolence. She trades favors like others do coins and can call them in from all creation.

Goodwives In the World
"She was a godsend, and the children loved her dearly. You should have seen her playing along with their little fancies. Kept talking to their imaginary friends and pulling 'monsters' out from under the bed. Oh how I laughed. I admit it was a little strange however when she began apologizing to furniture that creaked... - Mother Leslie of the Snider Orphanage

Few in the world can find it in their heart to hate a Goodwife. Even evil-aligned beings find themselves taking a shine to her. She doesn't preach or smite, crusade or proselytize. She simply does what she can to better the world, leading by example, and walking the walk.
Only the most hatefully sadistic can find fault with her, those who detest anything that brings happiness or hints of benevolence.
Otherwise she is almost universally welcomed, for her company as much as her blessings. Comfort and aid she gives freely, and gratefully accepts their help later on, though never expects or requires it.
Daily Life: You live in a new home each day, though it is never yours. You sleep in a warm bed nightly, but it is not your bed. You are invited into homes as a stranger and leave as a cherished friend. All are sad to see you go, but it is a bittersweet parting. You plant hope within, and from it love and contentment grows.
Even amongst the wilderness the spirits take care of you, and in return you take care of them.
Notables:

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Grandmother Cicily is the most famous of the coven, a goodwife appearing as but a child in the first blushes of womanhood. For her seeming age she is quite tall, and there is something about her bearing and manner that speaks of an ancient woman. No mere girl could be so poised, so perfect in manner and posture. Yet the enthusiastic energy of her actions is nothing that one of advanced age should be capable.
She is said to be over two thousand years old, and never had a parent after a great calamity destroyed her town. Barely able to speak or walk, she was trapped below in the cellars of her home where her parents hid her. She was born with the Second Sight however and watched the spirits surround her and comfort her. They prepared the food stocked within the pantries, spun her clothes from spiderwebs, and sung to her as she wept in the darkness. They told her stories, and spoke to her of what was beyond the shadows of the candlelight.
For years she remained below until the massed food was nearly gone. Some say luck, others say the spirits guided her, but she was discovered. An elderly woman seeking shelter from a thunderstorm while gathering herbs cleared away the rubble and opened the doors. Within was a painfully thin child, blinking in the light despite its dim, storm-diffused quality. She was pale as death, with eyes too large. The woman gasped as creatures in the thousands formed around the child, of all sizes and shapes, of forms defying casual description. They flitted in and out of her vision, not exactly here or there, but heretofore and whencewhere.

"No." the voice said. It was such a soft voice. A voice one could imagine the darkness having. Soft and cold, with iron in it. It came from the girl.

"I cannot be hidden forever. If the dark spirits take me I am taken, but I need a life before they can take it away from me. You have given me a chance, but you cannot give life. This you have told me yourself. "

The creatures became still and silent, as if in acquiescence.

The elderly woman's mind reeled. Here was a child not even of ten speaking like a wizened philosopher to spirits that bowed before her.

The child came out, tears of pain leaking from her overstimulated eyes. She held out a hand and whispered, "I cannot see. Please, lead me, Grandmother."

In the end the woman took her into her apothecary in the midst of town, passing her off as the only surviving child of a distant family. The strangeness to her was only enhanced in more natural surroundings. She was so... careful. The racks and shelves of bottles and pots she moved about like a wraith, lest she even rattle them. She would speak to the air, and kiss door frames, and fold her clothes with great solemnity. So perfectly careful and... balanced. She refused shoes entirely, and it was true that she never stubbed her toes. So dainty was her step as well that rarely did it touch the ground but long enough to pick up soil.

In conversation she would tell the most outrageous tales of simple household things, so strange to be coming out of her mouth. Her adopted grandmother however was enthralled by such stories. It made the time go faster as together they blew glass and shaped clay for the ointments and medicines to be brewed.

Some herbs the child seem overjoyed to pluck, while others she refused to even approach. The first time she was shown a mandrake root the child paled and nearly fainted. She ran as fast as she could from the spot, calling out in an odd language, and slapping at trees as she pounded through the woods.

Odd ways for an odd child, but she had a natural sense for the ways of things. Instinctively picking up on mannerisms, and decorum. Little domestic ceremonies and traditions. With her perfect manners, grace and care she soon became a favorite of the town, and even her little oddities seemed more quaint and becoming than strange.

She soon took over Grandmother's outward travels, having learned healing and medicine as well as she. While not even turned twelve she aided in the delivery of many births.

It was upon her 13th year that the neighbors heard a great shattering sound followed by Cicily's screams. Running in, they found the young woman curled amongst the shards of thousands of bottles and vials, sobbing uncontrollably.
Grandmother lie nearby, slashed in a thousand places.

She sat up and seemed to be speaking to something standing before her.

"I am so sorry, Grandmother. So sorry." a pause. "It is, they came for me! All gone, all..."

Another pause. "Alright, alright. Oh, I'll miss you."

Cicily then stood up, and the crowd gasped. There were shouts of 'Stand still!' and 'We'll come get you!' but she ignored them, stepping amongst the glass-strewn floor, each placing of the foot somehow missing the razor edges.

Many came to pay their respects. More than a few asked her into their homes, and she refused politely, but firmly. Afterward none visited long, for after that night the apothecary had gained the the cool, smothering feel of a home long shut up and abandoned. It felt... dead.

Cicily was seen remelting all the glass that had broken, and a week later disappeared. Those that awoke found a small bauble hanging from their doorway and swaying about the street signs. Though none could figure the cause, they instinctively felt it was a gift, and an important one. They were never taken down, and became known as Cicily's Blessing.

Traveling for centuries, Cicily visited hamlet, town and city, glade and cabin, hermit and caravan. Always long enough to win the heart of the people before leaving again. Always leaving a bauble. She healed and blessed, and every so often a rare orphan was adopted, or a woman of the village would leave with this child that never grew. These women taught others, dedicating themselves to guarding against evil and the dark spirits attracted to misery and hatred.

Thus was born the coven of the Goodwives.

Organizations: Goodwives rarely comes together, always too busy helping others to meet except by accident. It is known to happen however, but only doing so when something of grave import is discovered that is worth them dropping their tasks and responsibilities. A great mansion springs to life around them, and spiritual sentries guard it from entry and eavesdropping. When the coven convenes something threatens great numbers.

Otherwise they keep in contact through the communal grapevine, leaving verbal messages with those they aid, which is then imparted when next another goodwife passes through. As well, their mark always allows them to know which one has recently come by and who is blessed or who is cursed.

NPC Reaction
Others see a woman of impeccable grooming and bearing, spotlessly clean and every hair in place, every bit of lint plucked from her modest attire. She is seen all over, caring for the sick, tending to the elderly, or midwifing for a difficult delivery, never keeping still. As she passes into each home and building she kisses her fingers and presses them to the doorway. She seems to talk to herself often, and is overly careful with everything she handles. She never gossips, but is instead always overflowing with news of births and deaths, marriages and proposals. Almost all that come from her is positive and hopeful, and ever is she full of advice and stories. Even more than she likes to talk it seems is her interest in listening to others. Those wishing to get something off their chest find her an ever attentive and sympathetic audience.
Once she leaves the entire area seems brighter and more prosperous than before, with few ill events. Many strange ones remain however, singing is heard in the rafters and scramblings underfoot. Sightings of faces and odd creatures are often reported and thieves unconscious on the welcome mat. But somehow everything works out.

Goodwives In the Game
Goodwives are foremost buffers and backups. They are never front-liners, and if possible prefer to never even heft a weapon. They can take the place of bards and rogues to a degree, their ability to gain information or get into nearly any home and stronghold rivaling that of the most cunning thief or legendary performer.
They do their best work off the battlefield, though there are tales of crusading goodwives fighting for their loves ones surrounded by vengeful spirits and wielding weapons that spring to life of their own accord.
Adaptation: Any setting where spirits of land and tree, home and object survive the Goodwife fits in fine. In such campaigns where all divine casters must worship a deity, a generic tie to the wilderness or some all encompassing god of 'little things' could suffice. If even this is not enough, it is possible that such deities as Estanna would bless them to have sway over the little people and small powers.
Goodwives are always female due to the natural nurturing instinct and the subsequent ties of life an fertility that they make use of. Good Husbands are discouraged, but potentially possible, but is up to the GM whether the concept properly meshes with that of the Goodwife.

Eberron
In Eberron the Aereni elves may commonly have Goodwives and Good Husbands of both genders who instead of interacting with spirits and elementals, speak instead with their ancestors, residual memories, and echoes of the past that influence and watch over their children.

Encounters: Goodwives are as often found in rural communities as bustling cities, often giving aid and comfort. They might be found in the wilds between civilized locales however, in strange but beautiful homes in the middle of nowhere.
Adventurers may find themselves seeking her aid to exorcise a home or question why spirits have become riled in an area. Likewise they may simply be looking for sanctuary or healing from her. Very rarely some governing faction or non-good aligned clergy may hire players to run the goodwife out of town. Perhaps due to a blessing that may have backfired on them once they abused it or the goodwife, or the temples finding her lack of faith in a higher power disruptive or even heretical.

The Eclipse (EL 17)
The dark spirits that destroyed Cicily's hometown when she was a baby have been following her for years, but with her bringing of emotional and spiritual light to the lives of so many, they have never been capable of killing her. To attempt to destroy her was the cause of her home town being decimated, but the collective spirits of the entire city knew of her special gifts and guarded her. In Grandmother's house all the care that had been put into the making of its rafters and furniture, the love that blew into the vials to hold life-giving medicines, it sacrificed itself to destroy the evil that the mandrake had whispered to in the darkness, telling where Cicily had fled to.

After a thousand years of driving out darkness however she has been surrounded by it. Within a manor built for her upon a tiny island out upon the lake she resides, drawing as much as she can to her and away from the towns. They cannot defeat the defenses of her fortress however, but seek a way within

Undead shadows, taint elementals, and evil fey with the shadow template surround the lake, and those that venture near it rarely survive it. Those that do are usually mad with fear and tell horrible tales of what they saw there.

Tales of this location has recently come to the ears of the party, which by now has been mutated by the insane. Cicily now has the reputation for having going bad and summoning the creatures to attack and sew fear.

Grandmother Cicily


NG Female Human Spirit Shaman 10/Goodwife 10
Init +3, Senses: Listen +6, Spot 6, Second Sight, Spirit Sense
Languages Common, Sylvan
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AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10
hp 80 (20 HD)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +18 (+11/+10/+19 against spells)
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Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Quarterstaff +15/+10/+5 (1d6)
Base Atk +15, Grp +14
Atk Options Chastise Spirits 10d6 dam. 8/day, Dancing Weapon, Genius Loci, Goodwife's Exorcism, Incite the Spirits, Possessive Possession
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Caster level 20th. (Spells per day: 6/7/7/7/7/6/6/6/4/2; Save DC 15 + spell level):
0 - Create Water, Light, Mending
1st - Goodberry, Summon Wild Spirit I, Wood Wose
2nd - Earthfast, Tree Shape, Wood Shape
3rd - Meld Into Stone, Tremor, Spirit Jaws
4th - Land Womb, Preservation, Scrying
5th - Awaken, Commune With Nature, Gremlin Woes
6th - Liveoak, Stone Tell, Summon Wild Spirit VI
7th - Heal, Sunbeam
8th - Earthquake
9th - Elemental Swarm

Supernatural Abilities
Blessing of the Spirits, Detect Spirits, Follow the Guide, Ghost Warrior, Goodwife's Blessing, Guide Magic, Home Spirit, Spirit Form 1/day, Spontaneous Animation, Teraphim Form, Warding of the Spirits
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Abilities Str 8, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 20
SQ By Oak, Ash and Thorn, Knock On Wood, Out of the Woodwork, Small Gods, Wild Empathy
Feats Alertness(B), Born Under the Half Moon, Lightfooted, Magic Device Attunement, Nymph's Kiss(B), Practiced Spellcaster, Pure Soul, Sacred Vow, Second Sight(B), Spirit Sense, Transdimensional Spell
Skills Balance +16, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +15, Craft (alchemy) +18, Craft (glass blowing) +8, Gather Information +13, Heal +20, Knowledge (local) +23, Knowledge (nature) +15, Knowledge (religion) +13, Listen +6, Spot +6, Survival +14, Use Magic Device +16
Possessions

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Teraphim

Spoiler

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Brownie (Spirit of Integrity)
A tiny man in finely crafted brown clothes steps out of the wardrobe.
Offering: A bowl of porridge with honey each night.
Benefit: A home that has a brownie dwelling within will find that nearly nothing breaks. He will spend the night repairing and fortifying the home and its goods. Everything in the home has its hardness increased by 2 each night. This effect is not cumulative.
Glass no longer breaks easily, nor do items rust or rot. Such spells as Wood Rot or Rusting Grasp, or any ability that degrades or decreases an object's hardness, automatically fail. They may also use Mending at will.
Pleasantry: If a chair is left unused by any house member or guest, specifically set out for the brownie to sit upon, it will weave an entire garment, stitch a pair of boots, or in some way craft an article of clothing each night. These are considered masterwork garments, and those that wear them gain a +2 bonus to Charisma-based checks. They do not stain or easily tear. They grant a +1 bonus to armor, though can be worn with other armor and the benefits stack.
The brownie will not create more than one article of clothing for any member of the family. If sold the garment does not grant any bonuses, though is still considered masterwork.

Cronemother (Spirit of Charity)
A knock on the door and a wracking cough sounds outside and a tall, wrinkled woman with warts and a shawl asks if she can come in.
Offering: A warm place to sleep for the night.
Benefit: A cronemother allowed within will lend a hand within the home. For as long as she stays there is always enough clean water left to satisfy the household and just enough oats to make a nourishing gruel. If the excess gruel or water is sold it immediately turns to phlegm. However, if it is given to others in need, the one who gave up their share will find a tasty cake or bit of smoky meat in their pocket. Those that give away their meal for the treat however find the cronemother has spat within it instead.
Pleasantry: If one leaves tobacco for the cronemother's pipe each night for a week, at the end of that week the nightly meal acts and tastes as a Heroes Feast.

Dirwergen (Spirit of Clarity)
Loud psalms and endless stomping and banging sounds from the darkest places of the home.
Offering: A bowl of strong ginger beer
Benefit: Dirwergens hate darkness and haunted silences. Shadows seems less dark and threatening with the dirwergen about. There is no true darkness, even the deepest shadows becoming as dim illumination. His voice dispels silence and darkness effects if he succeeds on an opposed caster level check (equal to Goodwive's HD). However, listen checks are made at a -4 penalty.
Pleasantry: A Dirwergen loves music or a good chat. If you spend an hour each day in conversation and/or performing the Dirwergen will ward the house against creatures from the Plane of Shadow. Outsiders with the evil alignment are deafened and may not possess any item or being. Nor may ghosts, who cannot manifest within such a home, being forced to remain within the Ethereal Plane.

Domovoi (Spirit of Warmth)
A hairy man covered in ashes rises from the coals of the hearth.
Offering: Bread in a bowl of milk every morning.
Benefit: All within the home are effected as by an Endure Elements spell, which seems to be toasty warm year round, but never above or below comfort. Creatures with the cold subtype cannot enter a house tended by a domovoi. The Goodwife or owner of the home may lift the protection to allow such a creature within, but the domovoi will leave and cannot be enticed to return for 24 hours. Spells with the cold descriptor can be cast at only half caster level. As well, there is a 20% chance that any such spell fizzles uselessly.
Pleasantry: As long as no flame is manually and purposely extinguished in the house for 24 hours a Domovoi can be called to tell of an event destined to occur within the home, or to a resident or guest to the home, once a day by staring into the flames. This prediction is only good out to 1d4 days. If a specially seasoned log costing 50 gp is provided he may use Augery. If a flame is extinguished the domovoi will not predict again for a week.

Dove (Spirit of Peace)
A small white bird flies out from amongst the rafters.
Offering: A mirror set high on the wall.
Benefit: Whenever an argument begins, or a fight starts all within the home are effected as by Calm Emotions. As well, if anything as loud as a shout occurs the individual is affect as by a silence spell until they lower their voice.
Pleasantry: A dove of peace dislikes even the hint of aggression or violence. If the inhabitants of the homes forgoes eating any meat they will guard the home from attack. Those that venture within with violent intent fall asleep. This sleep lasts as long as they are within the home. The sleeping individual is protected from harm as well.

Dreamcatcher (Spirit of Rest)
A monstrous weaver spider crawls out from under the bed and begins weaving a web.
Offering: A wedge of blue cheese every night.
Benefit: Fear effects do not function within a home guarded by a dreamcatcher. This does not include Intimidate checks. As well, creatures associated with bad dreams, such as a Night Hag or Quori are warded from entering. Unpleasant dream-based spells, such as Nightmare, cannot reach one sleeping beneath a dreamcatcher's web.
Pleasantry: If offered silver sand a dreamweaver will listen to your dreams and give you a prediction as if it had the Dreamtelling feat (Heroes of Horror, p. 122). A dreamweaver has ranks in the appropriate skill checks to make a prediction equal to 4 + Goodwife's HD.

Honeydew (Spirit of Fertility)
There is the sound of droning bees and a nude woman large with child rises up from a patch of suddenly blooming wildflowers.
Offering: A window always left open with a bowl of mead on the sill.
Benefit: Plants are effected as by the enrichment quality of the Plant Growth spell, except it only effects edible and fruit/vegetable producing plants within 10 feet of the home per Goodwife level. All animals, lifestock and similar have twice their normal litter size while a honeydew remains within.
Pleasantry: A solemn promise may be made with a honeydew who can grant a childless couple the ability to conceive. The honeydew must be allowed to be the midwife, for it is her influence that keeps the children from being stillborn. The first birth is always twins. The promise is that the second child born is granted to the honeydew to raise as her own child within the orchards of her home. This child is always female and grows to become a honeydew in its own right. If the parents will not release the child it will slowly grow sicker as it is unable to grow properly without the attention of the honeydew.

Kookabura (Spirit of Joy)
There is the sound of raucous laughter, and a strange bird flies in through the window, becoming a very short, overweight man with a long blue nose and twinkling eyes.
Offering: A candle lit atop a seed cake
Benefit: Spirits rise and and even the darkest situations are seen with a humorous light. Jokes and funny tales spring to one's lips. Pain and depression are not felt within a home inhabited by a kookabura, and such effects do not function, such as those from Crushing Despair, or abilities and effects that lower or remove morale. Perform checks are made at a +2 bonus, or +4 bonus if its Perform (comedy).
Pleasantry: If no one laughs at the kookabura, but with it, and don a long, false nose while within the household, the kookabura will try its utmost to keep everyone happy. This produces a sort of comforting euphoria that nulls extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks.

Lares (Spirit of Protection)
All the dust of the home lifts up and coalesces, as wine streams from the cup, coming together and forming into a lean, muscular humanoid clad in leather armor.
Offering: Slice of roasted pork and a glass of wine. Afterwards a drop of wine on the shrine or idol with every dinner.
Benefit: Once per day per Goodwife level, if the home comes under attack, or the household threatened, the Lares will attack. The attack deals 2d6 damage, plus additional damage equal to the Goodwive's Cha mod. This damage is not affected by DR or Hardness. It's attack bonus is equal to the Goodwife's HD + Cha mod, and is considered a touch attack, bypassing armors. The attack will continue until the household's enemy leaves or asks for mercy. The Lare will then stab them in the heart, which does no damage. If ever the enemy enters the home with malice in his heart he must succeed on a Will save (10 + PrC level + Cha mod) or be instantly reduced to 0 hp. He is left conscious but stable. On a failed save he still takes damage as if from an attack.
Pleasantry: If an entire pig is offered, a Lare will forge a shield which acts as a light steel shield with a permanent Protection From Evil while held. This shield lasts for a week. A lare will not construct more than one shield at a time.

Waguli (Spirit of Respect)
There is an eerie cry that sounds vaguely like the words 'whip poor will' and a small nondescript bird of dull colors circles once before landing and clinging to the wall.
Offering: A lantern that must never be allowed to go out.
Benefit: Those in the household gain the benefits of the Spirit Sense whenever within their home and can see creatures hiding within the Ethereal Plane. They also gain a +1 bonus against Death effects.
Pleasantry: If the Waguli is built a special nest of human hair and yew branches, somewhere where it is dark even in the daytime (being a nocturnal spirit), it will trap any spirit that attempts to leave the house. This may be an creature with the Spirit Shaman definition, or the departing spirit of the recently deceased. The latter is akin to a Spirit Sense effect, except there is no time limit. If the departing spirit was of good alignment and wishes to leave, the Waguli will let it depart after a single question, even if it goes against the wishes of the household.
The bodies of those that die, or objects broken beyond repair in the home must be given a funeral or ritually burned or the Waguli will leave. Another Waguli cannot be summoned for a week.

Waldgeist (Spirit of Success)
The grains and whirls of deadwood, or the ridges and knobs of a tree settle into the semblance of a kindly old face.
Offering: A lively tattoo beaten upon some wood.
Benefit: Those within this home seem to have unusual luck. Each member of the household may re-roll any roll once per day with a +2 bonus after knowing the result by using a free action to knock on wood. Wood within the home becomes fire-proof, even cooking wood, requiring other substances, such as coal.
Pleasantry: Each day the Waldgeist will play a harmless prank on each of the household. Tripping them, coaxing a spider into their bed, shifting a doorway to the other side of the room. As long as the jest is taken in good spirit and the individual does not curse, the Waldgeist will allow them to take 20 on a single roll that day.
In addition, once per day if one spends 1d4 minutes tracing a woodgrain or root, which is alike to a gentle caress, the comforted Waldgeist will tell them the quickest path to a goal. This acts as a Find the Path spell.

Wellspring Newt (Spirit of Purity)
A small white newt surfaces within the offering below.
Offering: A well, spring, washtub or similar offered as a resting place.
Benefit: All poisons brought within the home are nullified and lose their properties permanently. This includes vials, poisoned food or water, envenomed weapons and similar all become harmless, even if removed from the household. Even venomous creatures cannot inject poison, and even after leaving require 24 hours before they can poison again. All food and drink is affected as by Purify Food and Drink. Hard drinks however are rendered flat. They can be drank, but lose their alcoholic properties. Those currently taking damage from poison are also purified, though their damage is not healed.
Pleasantry: Each day lavender is added to a wellspring newt's water it may use Cure Critical Wounds once.

Xoloesquintle (Spirit of Faithfulness)
An excited yipping and barking is heard and a lovably ugly hairless dog with squinted eyes bounds inside...
Offering: A large bone every evening.
Benefit: A xoloesquintle is a loyal canine from the spirit realms who guards against evil spirits. They ward the home against any considered a spirit (see Spirit Shaman definition), who cannot enter. As well, if anyone or anything tries to enter the home unbidden the xolo will awaken the head of the household.
Once a xolo attaches itself to a home it will not willingly leave even if asked to, and will chase away other small gods that attempt to take its place. Only a 9th level goodwife can forcefully eject the xolo or entice it to accept another small god in the household.
Pleasantry: Unlike most spirits a Xolo is incredibly loyal to a family it is summoned to, without need for particular gifts or enticements. As long as there has been no attempt to eject it from the household, but instead praised and thanked, it will protect them even after death.
If one of good alignment would be taken down to a lower plane due to a curse, deal with a devil, or any ability that would damn a soul, the Xolo will lead their soul away to be hidden within the spirit realm before it can be claimed. Their spirit is as a ghost, though without any ability to be seen or heard. If there is any attempt to resurrect them the xolo will lead it back to the body, allowing them to return to life without level loss.

Zashiki-warashi (Spirit of Prosperity)
A laughing child with red face and bobbed hair runs in through the front door with delighted laughter.
Offering: A boiled sweet every night and a new toy each week.
Benefit: There is a feeling of camaraderie and holiday in the home where a zashiki-warashi lives. Diplomacy and Bluff checks are made with a +4 bonus.
Pleasantry: If you read a story or sing a lullaby every night, and scold the Zashiki-warashi every morning, it will show itself and charm any visitor to the home towards it, the house, and its inhabitants. The slightest hint of violence against the charmed visitor however breaks the effect. If the visitor has one on its person it will leave the Zashiki-warashi a copper or silver coin (whatever is lower). The spirit will then stick it under the pillow of the head of the family that night. However, if any should try to take the coin from the Zashiki-warashi before then, it will rebel, and refuse to give it, or charm future visitors, though it will steal from them the most valuable object or coin on their person and refuse to give it back. It will then horde coins, gems and any valuable object it finds within the house and hide it away until a special meal is made in its honor. It will then relent. Upon a second infraction against it it will leave the home and another Zashiki-warashi will not take its place for 24 hours.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Second Sight [General]
Prerequisites: Wis 15, Spot 8 ranks, *Spirit Sense
*Heroes of Horror, p. 124
Benefit: You can see things that are naturally unseen. For instance, creatures or objects with natural or inherent invisibility can now be seen by you normally. Such creatures include a Phantom Fungus or Invisible Stalker, as well as Teraphim. This does not apply to creatures with access to spell lists that grant them invisibility. If the creature is invisible by other means, such as spells and similar, or upon the ethereal plane, you cannot see them, though automatically succeed on a Spot check to sense their presence, though cannot pinpoint their location through use of this feat.
Special: As long as you maintain concentration you automatically know when you are not seeing something real. For instance you know when something is an illusion or in an altered shape that is not natural form. You sense the outline of the creature, object or landscape's true shape. It is too vague and shadowy to make out details however, and must still succeed on your save against illusions, but you know when it is a farce.

[Glimbur]

Channel of Ysgard
"Where I come from we have a saying: the only answer to evil is an axe."

The Channel of Ysgard has adjusted his incarnum abilities to draw primarily from Ysgard, and so gains more refined/viking powers for the endless battle versus evil.

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Becoming A Channel of Ysgard
Deep study of the Planes and Incarnum together rather naturally reveal the link between the two. Fully exploiting the link takes some finesse and knowledge. Alternately, sometimes Good outsiders suggest this path to noteworthy incarnates. This particular PrC outlines the extra powers and responsibilities available through a closer bond to Ysgard.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
-13 Ranks in Knowledge (The Planes)
-Ability to shape at least three soulmelds
-Must have had peaceful contact with a Good outsider
-Neutral Good(but see Random Acts of Kindness)

Class Skills
The Channel of Ysgard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Profession(Wis), Spellcraft(Int)
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + Int mod

Hit Die: d8

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Meldshaping Advancement

1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Random Acts of Kindness, Continued Shaping|+1

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Fist of Kord, Horns of the Viking|+1

3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Smite Evil 1/encounter, Hammer of Valhalla|+1

4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Giantfelling Secret One|+1

5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Ysgard's Power|

6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Expanded Soulmeld Capacity|+1

7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Giantfelling Secret Two Smite Evil 2/encounter|+1

8th|+6|+6|+2|+6|Soul Ship, Voice of Valhalla|+1

9th|+6|+6|+3|+6|Giantfelling Secret Three|+1

10th|+7|+7|+3|+7|Eternal Hero|

[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Channel of Ysgard gains no additional armor or weapon proficiencies.

Random Acts of Kindness: A Channel of Ysgard may use soulmelds with the [Chaotic] descriptor despite being Neutral Good, and in addition a Channel of Ysgard may be CG without losing their powers as an Incarnate. This does not give access to the Chaotic Incarnum Radiance, and when a soulmeld which can have any alignment descriptor (like the Incarnate Avatar) is shaped it must be of only one alignment: either Chaos or Good.
Continued Shaping: Levels in Channel of Ysgard stack with levels in Incarnate for purposes of advancing tiers of binds available, essentia, number of soulmelds shaped, and number of binds available for every level except levels 5 and 10 in Channel of Ysgard. These levels do not stack for purposes of Incarnum Radiance, Rapid Meldshaping, or Expanded Soulmeld Capacity.
Fist of Kord: A Channel of Ysgard gains access to the Fist of Kord, a special soulmeld, at level 2.
Horns of the Viking:A Channel of Ysgard gains access to the Horns of the Viking soulmeld at level 2.
Smite Evil(Su):A third level Channel of Ysgard may Smite Evil 1/encounter. As a free action he may gain his Wisdom modifier as a bonus to hit with an attack and his character level as a bonus to damage. This applies to melee or ranged attacks and qualifies for PrC's, feats, etc which require smiting. The feat Extra Smiting adds another smite per encounter instead of its listed effect. He gains an additional smite per encounter at level 7.
Hammer of Valhalla:A Channel of Ysgard may shape an Incarnate Weapon soulmeld without it counting against their total number of soulmelds shaped. If the Channel of Ysgard chooses to bind the Incarnate Weapon it still counts as one of his binds as normal.
Giantfelling Secret One(Ex):When a Channel of Ysgard makes a reflex saving throw against an effect which has a reduced effect on a successful save, for example half damage, he instead takes no damage. This only applies to effects originating from a creature larger than the Channel of Ysgard. Unlike the similar rogue ability, this works in any kind of armor or under any load. This does count as Evasion for qualifying for other feats, PrC's, and whatever else requires Evasion.
Ysgard's Power(Su): A Channel of Ysgard gains Fast Healing 2 at level 5.
Expanded Soulmeld Capacity(Ex):The essentia capacity of all soulmelds for the Channel of Ysgard increases by one.
Giantfelling Secret Two(Ex): The Channel of Ysgard gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC for each size category his opponent is larger than him. For example, a medium Channel of Ysgard being attacked by a colossal red dragon gains a +8 dodge bonus to AC against those attacks.
Soul Ship: An eighth level Channel of Ysgard gains access to the Soul Ship soulmeld, detailed at the end of the class.
Voice of Valhalla: An eighth level Channel of Ysgard gains access to the Voice of Valhalla soulmeld, detailed at the end of the class.
Giantfelling Secret Three(Ex): The Channel of Ysgard gains +2 on weapon and soulmeld damage rolls for each size category his target is larger than him. For example, a fine sized Channel of Ysgard attacking a Large Ogre gains +10 on all damage rolls against that opponent.
Eternal Hero(Sp):If a tenth level Channel of Ysgard should happen to die in combat, he is raised(as a True Resurrection) the next time the sun sets. Once this ability works, it will not work again for a week, but if the character dies again during the cool-down of the ability it will work a week after the previous resurrection. If there is no body to raise, he reappears at the nearest temple to Kord if there is another one on the plane, otherwise he reappears in Ysgard. Death in combat is loosely defined: an assassination or poisoning does not count, but an ambush or a duel does count. If this ability does not trigger the character can still be raised normally.

Fist of Kord

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Fist of Kord (Good, Chaos)
Descriptors: Good, Chaos
Classes: Channel of Ysgard
Chakra: Hands, Arms
Saving Throw: None
Special: Must have two levels in Channel of Ysgard to shape this soulmeld.
All that is required for Evil to win is for Good people not to crush it in their hands.
This soulmeld grants the effect of the feat Improved Unarmed Strike. If the incarnate shaping this already has Improved Unarmed Strike, he deals damage as though he were one size category larger.
Essentia Effect: Essentia in this soulmeld provides a sacred bonus to melee weapon and grapple damage rolls and grapple checks equal to invested essentia.
Chakra Bind(Hands)
You gain the effects of Improved Grapple.
Chakra Bind(Arms)
You gain the Constrict special ability: every time you win a grapple check against someone you are grappling they take 1d6+Str mod damage.

Horns of the Viking

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Horns of the Viking
Descriptors: None
Classes: Channel of Ysgard
Chakra: Crown, Brow
Saving Throw: None
Special: Must have two levels in Channel of Ysgard to shape this soulmeld.
Sometimes you just need some horns on your head
This soulmeld grants a +2 sacred bonus to Profession(Sailor), Use Rope, and Knowledge(Geography) checks made to navigate.
Essentia Effect: Each point of Essentia in this soulmeld increases the bonus it offers to skills by +2.
Chakra Bind(Crown)
These horns aren't just for show
You gain a gore attack which can be used as a primary natural attack for 1d6+str mod or as a secondary natural attack for 1d6+half strength mod+invested essentia.
Chakra Bind(Brow)
Sometimes you just need to get mad
You may Rage once an encounter. This gives you a +4 to Str and Con, a +2 Morale bonus on Will Saves, and a -2 to AC. You are limited on what skills and feats you can use during a rage just like a barbarian is. The duration of the rage is 3 rounds plus your constitution modifier, and you may enter a rage as a free action. You are fatigued after a rage just like a barbarian is.
If you have at least three points of essentia invested in this soul meld, you are no longer restricted on what skills and feats you can use during a rage.

Soul Ship

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Soul Ship
Descriptors: None
Classes: Channel of Ysgard
Chakra: Heart
Saving Throw: None
Special: Must have eight levels in Channel of Ysgard to shape this soulmeld
A true viking carries his ship on the inside.
As a standard action, you may call a ship. This ship must appear next to you on a surface that can support it. If this ship is destroyed, the Soul Ship soulmeld unshapes. You may dismiss the soul ship as a standard action. It retains damage it took in the same day, when you reshape soulmelds the next day your ship is fully repaired. A soul ship rows itself but requires a watch as normal.
Essentia Effect: The kind of ship you can summon depends on the essentia invested in this soulmeld. If the amount of essentia invested in this soulmeld is reduced while the ship is called the ship downgrades to the highest cost ship it can be with the remaining essentia.

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{table="head"]Essentia|Ship

0|Dugout

1|Launch

2|Keel Boat

3|Cog

4|Caravel

5|Junk

6|Longship

7|Ironclad

[/table]
Ships can all be found in Stormwrack, some are also in the SRD.

Chakra Bind(Heart)
Sometimes you can't afford a crew
Your soul ship is animated, as an Animated Object with some differences. Its land speed is 5', it has a swim speed of 10' + 10' x invested essentia but it cannot dive below the surface of water, and as part of its animation it does not need rowers or a watch. It is directed by the will of the Channel of Ysgard who called it, as a free action.

Voice of Valhalla

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Voice of Valhalla
Descriptors: Sonic
Classes: Channel of Ysgard
Chakra: Throat
Saving Throw: Fort for half
Special: Must have eight levels in Channel of Ysgard to shape this soulmeld
With a mighty battle bellow, you scatter your foes before you
You gain a +2 insight bonus to intimidate and can speak in a Silence spell if you succeed on a meldshaper level check against a DC of 11 plus the CL of the silence spell.
Essentia Effect: Each point of essentia increases your bonus to intimidate by 2.
Chakra Bind(Throat)
Your voice bludgeons like a hammer
As a standard action, you may do 2d6 sonic damage in a 10' cone. Each point of essentia increases the damage by 2d6 and each two points of essentia increase the size of the cone by 5'. This effect offers a Fort save with a DC of ten plus half meldshaper level plus invested essentia for half damage. For example, if you have four essentia in this soulmeld you do 10d6 sonic damage in a 20' cone.

Playing a Channel of Ysgard
Combat: Hit people. You're a viking... sort of. Use your soulmelds intelligently.
Advancement: Take more levels in Incarnate. You're pretty well stuck on it... but I guess when you hit epic you could also take levels of Crusader or something.
Resources: You should take resources from villains and use them for freedom and justice.

Channel of Ysgards in the World
"Grag not think so good after little man hit him with hammer."-Grag, a stone giant who met a Channel of Ysgard.
Daily Life: You are a viking. A Good viking. Go kill evil creatures, peoples, civilizations, etc.
Notables: Erik Leifson is the most famous Channel of Ysgard. He sailed around the Circle Sea with his merry band of warriors and harried the evil Althasian Empire until it fell for unrelated reasons.
Organizations: As a chaotic leaning class, organizations of Channel of Ysgards tend to be rare and loosely bound. A fleet of ships launched from a village is about as large as their organizations get.

NPC Reaction
Other chaotic warriors for freedom will see a Channel of Ysgard as a brother in arms. More lawful good people will see him as misguided. Evil will hopefully fear him. The peasant on the street will be impressed by his glowing soulmelds and impressive viking beard.

Channels of Ysgard in the Game
This is generally stronger than Incarnate... with some caveats. The loss of bind advancement at 5 and 10 along with expanded soulmeld capacity being pushed back a level means Incarnates are better at incarnum. The loss of the soul bind pre-epic especially hurts. On the other hand... 3/4 BAB does mean a third iterative attack, and the capstone is much nicer than the capstone to Incarnate.
Adaptation: This class begs to be adapted for other planar Incarnates.
Encounters: It is possible to meet a Channel of Ysgard leading a righteous fleet of vikings gone raiding... but at the ECL one has to be to have several levels in this class they might be going raiding across planes. That could be fun.

[Hyooz]

PYRE OF MAAT



”Your sins are forgiven, child. Justice, however, has yet to be sated.” – Atonn Ramaan, Pyre of Maat

Paladins and their ilk have long existed within the world, as a fighting force for the ideals of Good and justice. They remain, however, not enough. While defending their ideals is a noble pursuit, there are those who sought to take the fight a step further. These are those who developed the ideals of Maat – a system of ideals and morals that embody their ideals, along with a burning need for justice. While Maat began as a very strict singular set of ideals, as the concept spread, champions of justice within various cultures developed their own Maat. Soon it became much more than a concept, and almost a deity within itself to which clerics and paladins would devote themselves (in place of or alongside their own gods), finding unique power from their own convictions.

Such are the Pyres of Maat.

BECOMING A PYRE OF MAAT
Pyres require a certain degree of divine magics to begin their path, but they cannot truly begin their journey until they have crafted their Pennants (see sidebar below for details). Just any cleric or favored soul cannot become a Pyre; however, even creating a Pennant requires a devotion to the ideals of Good and justice that, while some can reach, is more commonly seen in paladins.

Sidebar: Pennants

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The original Pyres of Maat were most feared not for the weapons they carried or spells that they wielded, but for the feathers they carried. While the original Pennants were almost exclusively eagle feathers, as the concept and ideas of Maat spread from culture to culture, Pennants became more varied, but remained the primary indicator of a Pyre.

A Pennant is, at its heart, an item of sentimental or spiritual value to the Pyre infused with his beliefs to the point it becomes a literal carrier of his convictions. Other creatures who touch a Pyre’s Pennant are overwhelmed with the passion contained within and often break the connection immediately. Holding a Pennant for a full minute will make clear to the creature the Pyre’s convictions in detail.

For the Pyre, however, the Pennant is a necessary part of many of his abilities, and a Pyre who has lost his Pennant is often obsessed with little more than getting it back or crafting a new one. He can choose to use his Pennant as a divine focus for his spells, and while the Pennant is in his possession, the Pyre gains a +1 conviction bonus to all Will saves.

A Pyre can have only one Pennant. If he crafts additional Pennants, the previously created ones lose their potency and become mundane items again.

Crafting a Pennant:
Crafting a Pennant requires 24 hours of uninterrupted labor and 500g worth of materials. Most Pyres use an item of personal significance as the base for their Pennant, and, using whatever skills they have available, will take the time to make it a shining example of whatever item it is. Ancient feather Pennants, for example, would be made sleek and streamlined, sometimes painted marvelous colors and otherwise made into something that reflected the Pyre’s very soul.

Pennants are magic items and give off a faint divination aura.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Spellcasting: Able to cast divine spells
Alignment: Lawful Good
Skills: Craft (Any) 8 ranks
Special: Must have crafted a Pennant unique to themselves

Class Skills
The Pyre of Maat's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Ref Save|Fort Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+2

|

+0

|Inspired, Imputation, Radiance (Kin)

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+0

|Weigh the Heart

3rd|

+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|Practiced Imputation

4th|

+2

|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|Radiance (Serenity)

5th|

+2

|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|Radiant Imputation

6th|

+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|Divine Justice

7th|

+3

|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|Radiance (Assurance)

8th|

+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+2

|Swift Imputation

9th|

+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+3

|Divine Conflagration

10th|

+5

|

+7

|

+7

|

+3

|Empowered Justice, Radiance (Giving), Pennant Crafter[/table]

Spellcasting: Every level, when a new Pyre of Maat level is gained, he gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever divine spellcasting class he belonged to before she added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

If a Pyre of Maat had more than one divine spellcasting class before he took a level of this prestige class, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Pyre of Maat for the purpose of determining spellcasting.

Inspired: Pyre of Maat levels stack with Paladin levels for determining the effectiveness of the Smite and Lay on Hands class features.

Imputation (Su): The most basic ability the Pyre first develops with his Pennant is the ability to infuse another creature with his convictions. As a ranged touch attack, the Pyre of Maat can attempt to embed his Pennant within another creature’s spirit. If successful, the Pennant leaves the Pyre’s possession and the target creature gains its mark (usually a glowing symbol resembling the Pennant or a significant marking on the Pennant.) An Imputed creature is treated as having a Lawful Good alignment as the Pyre’s spirit radiates from within them, and all attacks it makes are Good aligned. It also gains the Pyre’s +1 conviction bonus to Will saves.

Imputation lasts 1 minute, or until the Pyre of Maat dispels the effect. When the effect ends, the Pennant magically reappears in the Pyre’s possession.

Radiance (Su): While the Pyres certainly are bringers of justice, often the only judge a creature will see before the afterlife, their first choice is never killing. Sometimes it is necessary, yes, and they are certainly well equipped to do so, Pyres see the folly in slaughter, and the boon that can come from conversion. Thus, their powers not only equip them to be a final arbiter, but also to calm the storm of battle, and hopefully save lives.

Such is the nature of their Radiance. A simple release of divine energy tuned to soothe minds and seek out the reachable. Many Pyres, finding themselves in combat, will allow their foes to attack him at first, hoping his magic will bring a swift end to hostilities, focusing his more destructive powers on those who insist on fighting on.

Activating a Radiance is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Only one Radiance can be in effect at a time. Saves related to Radiance have a DC equal to (10 + ½ Pyre of Maat level + primary casting modifier.) Creatures that successfully save against one of a Pyre’s Radiances are immune to all of his Radiances for 24 hours. Radiances are active until cancelled, and have a radius of 20ft.

Kin: The first Radiance a Pyre learns is one of companionship. The Pyre believes that many do not choose Evil and Chaos, but instead find themselves driven there by a lack of true kinship. With this Radiance, the Pyre of Maat offers such kinship to those who would accept. A creature effected by this Radiance must make a Will save or be unable to take any hostile action toward the Pyre or within the area of the Radiance. (Hostile actions might include, but are not necessarily limited to, attacking, casting a harmful spell, throwing rocks, etc.)

This Radiance’s effects last 24 hours, but are immediately cancelled if the Pyre takes hostile action against the affected creature.

Serenity: The second Radiance a Pyre learns is one of peace. Tempers often run very high very quickly in the heat of battle, and the reasons for combat are often lost in the chaos. Creatures entering this Radiance feel the foolishness of battle, and follow the Pyre’s lead. On a failed Will save, creatures can no longer take hostile actions of any kind, and stay near the Pyre of Maat that affected them. This Radiance does require the Pyre to lead by example; however, as any hostile action he takes will cancel the effect.

Assurance: The third Radiance a Pyre learns is one of confidence. Rather than seeking to reach foes, a Pyre activating this Radiance instead seeks to protect and bolster his allies. All those within the aura allied with the Pyre who share at least one aspect of alignment are immune to mind-affecting abilities, death effects, and gain a +1 bonus to all rolls.

Giving: The final Radiance a Pyre learns is one of charity. Selflessness is one of the most powerful demonstrations of Good a creature can perform, and bolstering others at the expense of one’s own safety is one of the grandest examples of the Pyre’s philosophy. While this Radiance is active, all creatures allied with the Pyre who share at least one aspect of his alignment gain the benefit of any beneficial spells currently active on him. While these are shared, however, the Pyre loses the benefits associated with them. Any number of creatures can benefit from this Radiance.

Weigh the Heart (Su): While most Pyres are known primarily for their Pennants, the true nature of their calling and their abilities remains obscured to most. Imputation is simply a first step toward something much deeper, and much grander.

As a full attack action, the Pyre of Maat can peer through his Pennant into a creature currently imputed by himself, and compare the virtues in its very heart to the virtue embodied by his Pennant. A creature that has lived a virtuous life has little to fear, and can expect great reward. Those who lack, however, will learn why they Pyre is so called. Creatures subjected to this ability later recall having seen a vision of a mighty set of golden scales, the Pyre’s Pennant on one side, and their own heart on the other. For better or worse, the scales would tip, and the Pyre would know their heart.

When the Pyre activates this ability, he immediately learns the target creature’s full alignment. Then, the true Weighing begins. For every aspect of alignment the target has in common with the Pyre, the Pyre must activate one Benediction from the table below. For every step away from the Pyre’s alignment the creature is, the Pyre must activate one Condemnation from the table below. Individual Benedictions and Condemnations can be activated multiple times and their effects stack. After activating this ability, the Pyre’s Pennant returns to his possession and Imputation ends. Effects of Benedictions and Condemnations last 1d6 rounds unless otherwise specified.

Sidebar: Aspects of Alignment and Steps Away

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A shared aspect of alignment is one half of a typical alignment that the two creatures have in common. For example, a Lawful Good and a Lawful Evil creature share one aspect of alignment in common. This would activate one Benediction.

Steps of difference are determined on a sort of sliding scale. Lawful is one step away from Neutral and two away from Chaotic. Similarly, Good is one step away from Neutral and two from Evil. A Lawful Good Creature and a Chaotic Neutral Creature would then have 3 steps of difference.

When applying this to Weigh the Heart, consider both factors. If used on a Lawful Evil creature, the ability would activate one Benediction (Lawful is shared) and two Condemnations (Evil is two steps away from Good.) A Chaotic Evil creature would activate four Condemnations, and so on.

Benedictions

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Health: The target creature heals 10 hp per Pyre of Maat level. This healing is not positive energy based. The duration of this Benediction is instantaneous.

Protection: The target creature gains a +3 sacred bonus to AC.

Guidance: The target gains a +1 sacred bonus to all rolls for every 3 Pyre of Maat levels the user has.

Aptitude: The target uses its class features as if it were 5 levels higher. This does not grant any new class features, base attack bonus, saves, etc. Only existing class features benefit. Spellcasters do not gain any new spell levels or spells. The creature can choose how to ‘distribute’ these levels at the time of the Benediction. (Ex. A wizard is blessed with Aptitude, and now casts the spells he has and has prepared as if he were 5 levels higher. A rogue can sneak attack as if he were a rogue five levels higher. A psion could spend 5 more points on powers, but would gain no additional points. Etc.)

Mobility: The creature gains a new movement type with a speed of 60ft. Select one of the following: Flight, Burrow, Swim, Climb. (If you select Flight, the maneuverability is perfect.)

Motility: The creature immediately takes a standard action. This Benediction has a duration of instantaneous.

Condemnations

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Harm: The creature takes 5 holy damage per Pyre of Maat level. The duration of this condemnation is instantaneous.

Vulnerability: The creature takes a -1 penalty to all saves against the Pyre’s spells and abilities.

Mire: The creature’s movement speed is reduced by 10ft. Alternatively, it loses an alternate movement type.

Diminish: The creature suffers a point of ability drain of the Pyre’s choosing.

Cloud: One creature of the Pyre’s choosing becomes invisible to the target.

Banish: The creature is moved 10ft in a direction of the Pyre’s choosing.

Practiced Imputation: While instilling your essence into other creatures is, initially, somewhat difficult for the Pyre, as he gets more acquainted with the construction and manipulation of his Pennant, the act becomes easier. Imputation can now be performed as a move action.

Radiant Imputation: A Pyre and his Pennant are deeply connected, and magical energies have a tendency to leak through him into creatures currently possessed with his very nature. Energies that also spring from this nature are especially keen to do so, if the Pyre will let them. At his option, an imputed creature can also radiate a Radiance the Pyre currently has active. For all intents and purposes related to the Radiance the imputed creature is considered the Pyre.

Swift Imputation: Imputation has now become such a common action for the Pyre of Maat that it requires almost no thought at all. Imputation can now be performed as a Swift action.

Divine Justice: While the power within his Pennant is enough to allow the Pyre to complete a number of rituals, there are times when more strength of will is required to truly exact justice. At a time like this, the Pyre can call on his deity, or whatever power he serves, for a little extra divine strength when he truly needs it. When using his Weigh the Heart ability, the Pyre of Maat can sacrifice a spell slot of the highest level he can cast to empower the results of the ability. When determining the number of Benedictions and Condemnations to be applied, multiply the number by 1.5 (round up.)

Divine Conflagration (Su): Though they may suffer many trials in their pursuit of conversion and understanding, there is a point every Pyre reaches at which there is simply no other choice, and the full justice of Maat must be felt. With a prayer and a gesture, the Pyre of Maat lives up to his namesake, releasing the conviction and divine energies stored within his Pennant, devastating a creature from within its very soul.

As a full attack action that provokes attacks of opportunity targeting an imputed creature, the Pyre destroys his Pennant to release divine fire within a creature. The creature must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + ½ Pyre of Maat level + primary casting mod) or be instantly consumed and killed in a column of golden flame. Creatures that make their save suffer 15d6 damage, half of which is fire, half of which is pure divine energy that cannot be resisted, and 3 Condemnations of the Pyre’s choice.

Empowered Justice: At the peak of his power, the Pyre of Maat knows best how to distribute the energies he received into his scales. What once boosted their strength slightly now doubles them entirely. When using Divine Justice to empower his Weigh the Heart ability, instead multiply by 3.

Pennant Crafter: As a full master of the powers of the Pyres, creating Pennants, a necessary and arduous task, becomes no less arduous, but significantly less time consuming. The Pyre learns how to best channel the energies and his own convictions into a trinket, and can now craft a Pennant in merely an hour.

PLAYING A PYRE OF MAAT
Your cause should be the first and last thing you make decisions through. You feel it strongly enough to manifest it in an item, so this shouldn't be hard. Remember that your Maat is not simply a system of how to be good - it also demands justice be served. Imputing creatures is more than an offensive action in combat - it is your chance to demonstrate to them your Maat, and grant them a taste of your devotion.
Combat: A Pyre will often prefer to discover the ideals of his foes before engaging in violent combat. His Radiances allow him to contribute in a nonviolent way while he determines who truly needs to be visited by his Maat, and be granted the wages they have earned with their lives.
Advancement: Your devotion to your Maat or deity will continue to be the forefront of your thought - continue your study of divine spells without straying from your path.
Resources: Other Pyres who share his Maat will be as helpful as they can be when encountered. Gods that share your ideals are often also friendly to Pyres, even if they aren't necessarily their subjects, so churches or clerics thereof can be potential aid.

PYRES OF MAAT IN THE WORLD
"I tasted bliss, and felt the scourge - but at the same time, I knew full well I had earned both. It was... terrifying, but reassuring in a way. To be full of light like that? There is no way to describe it." - Brother Donton, recent convert to Pelor

Pyres are often met with equal parts wonder and dread. There is little that gets under people's skin as much as having their faults and sins laid out in front of them and condemned. Pyres are, however, still recognized as great doers of good, and champions of the common folk against evil.
Daily Life: Pyre's spend a great deal of time in prayer, meditation and self-reflection. They cannot afford to stray from their path, after all, and by acting as judges for others, they bring upon themselves worse condemnation when they commit the same acts.
Notables: The original Pyres remain the most notable, though their names have been lost to history. The imagery of the feather on a scale still speaks to the populace, and many Pyres today emulate them with feather Pennants of their own.
Organizations: The Pyres themselves are a sort of organization, if loosely affiliated. Maat may vary from individual from individual, but their conviction and devotion still allows for a level of linkage between them.

NPC Reaction
Many are unsure what to think of the Pyres of Maat. They are all the strictest of idealists, and dedicated entirely to their causes. They are, however, also famed for their ability to peer into ones heart and reveal their sins, which would put even the most pious priest nervous. On the one hand, Pyres do great good, but on the other hand, they reveal the evil in us all.

PYRES OF MAAT IN THE GAME
Pyres might skew the group more toward a stricter sense of alignment than many groups want to deal with. It would hurt a Pyre's cause to travel with a bunch of ne'er-do-wells and this might lead to some conflict. They are, however, otherwise divine casters, and will fit anywhere a cleric will.
Adaptation: Pyres could, in theory, be altered to fit a Lawful Evil or possibly Neutral alignment, but this would require complete revision of the Radiance ability and likely several adjustments to the Weigh the Heart ability as well. Maat does not need to be any god or specific set of ideals, as long as they match up to a Lawful Good mindset.
Encounters: A Pyre will likely be a friendly encounter for PCs, offering to bless them with his spells, and help them examine their souls with his unique abilities.

[Dr Strangelove]

Magus of the Seven Stars

We all live lives of haste and confusion, adrift in a sea of emotion, urge and random chance. Thousands of tomes have and will be written regarding the search for the 'good' or 'right' way to live. The question seems insoluble. But in fact, the moral duties of any individual are as simple and bright as the stars; it is only when we attempt to merge duty with circumstance that uncertainty may appear. Yet this does not reduce the strength of our duty, nor the power of the initial abstraction...
Foreword to Ybress Chaldan's Manual of the Stars

The constellation of Sera is an unusual fixture in the night sky, unmoving, neither flaring nor dimming over time. Over the centuries its seven stars have become a symbol of unwavering justice and unchanging will. Tyrants and heroes rise and fall, but Sera remains. Ybress Chaldan, archmage and astronomer, was enchanted by the purity and intransigence that Sera represented. From it she derived her magnum opus, the Manual of the Stars, providing a theoretical base for philosophy and arcane power as timeless as the stars of Sera. Each of the seven stars of Sera represented one of the cornerstone virtues of the Manual's content, the expression of which was in turn based upon Chaldan's observations of the constellation. Chaldan was concerned with the contrast between immutable laws and chaotic events. She argued that her seven virtues could be reduced to universal abstractions, and that it was the use of these abstractions to tame chaos and emotive responses that gave them their power.

Chaldan was considered a fruitcake by her contemporary colleagues, but over time some few mages have drawn insight and power from the principles set down in the Manual. Magi of the Seven Stars do not draw power from Sera as such, but use formulae and patterns derived from the constellation's appearance to hone their minds and magic.

BECOMING A MAGUS
A mage intrigued by rumours of the Seven Stars must learn Sera's secrets directly from the Manual; oral instruction would only introduce error and reinterpretation. Copies of the Manual are extremely rare. Details of the search for one are at the DM's discretion, but might involve weeks spent trawling through the libraries and bookstores of a major city, or tracking a specific copy from one past owner to another. Once a copy is located, a prospective Magus must study the Manual intensively for at least one month.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any good
Skills: Decipher Script 12 ranks, Spellcraft 12 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks
Caster: Arcane caster level 9th
Other: Must study a copy of the Manual of the Stars

Class Skills
The Magus's class skills are Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Knowledge (all), Profession and Spellcraft.
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + Int

Hit Dice: d4

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Invoke the stars, Eva (prudence), spellcasting

2nd|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Dia (justice)

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Epeia (temperance)

4th|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Teopa (courage)

5th|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Nevete (faith)

6th|

+2

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Enta (hope)

7th|

+2

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Ea (love)
[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: Magi of the Seven Stars gain no weapon proficiencies.

Spellcasting: At each odd-numbered level, the Magus gains spells per day and casting level as if they had gained another level in an arcane spellcasting class in which they already have levels. This does not advance any other features of the previous class, only spells per day. If the magus was a member of more than one arcane casting class, they choose which class gains the increase.

Invoke the Stars (Su): A number of times per day equal to their class level, at the beginning of their turn, a magus may invoke the virtue of one of Sera's seven stars as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Each star has a command effect and a refutation effect; when the star is invoked, the magus chooses which effect to apply. Each star may only be invoked once per day. If an effect allows a save, the DC is as if the magus had cast a spell of a level equal to their magus level.

Eva (prudence) Without the support of the intellect, choice becomes mere reaction. Adrift from the body, choice becomes meaningless.
Command - the magus may sacrifice prepared spells or spell slots with a combined level equal to their class level. The spells must each have a single target, and be able to legitimately target the magus. The spells are lost, and the magus is treated as if they had cast them upon themselves.
Refutation - the magus immediately teleports adjacent to one enemy within 100 ft + 10ft/level.

Dia (justice) Mercy strengthens injustice. Vengeance creates it.
Command - one creature of evil alignment within 30 ft per level takes a Will save. If the target fails, it takes 1 Wisdom damage per magus level. If it passes, it is dazed for one round.
Refutation - the first spell that the magus casts this turn deals entirely nonlethal damage and ignores Damage Reduction and resistances (but not immunities).

Epeia (temperance) In extreme, all the natural tendencies become harmful - including the tendency to balance opposing forces.
Command - the magus chooses a energy type, and gains resistance 5/level to that type for one round/level.
Refutation - the magus chooses an energy type, and instantly projects a 10ft/level cone that deals 2d6/level damage of the chosen type. Reflex save for half.

Teopa (courage) Only a coward retreats out of fear. Only a coward fears to retreat.
Command - for one round, the magus and allies within 10ft/class level add the magus' class level to their Will saves as a circumstance bonus.
Refutation - the magus teleports 100 ft + 10ft/level directly away from the nearest enemy.

Nevete (faith) I believe that my friends will defend me. I believe that my power is equal to any foe.
Command - for one round, allies within 10ft/level gain a bonus equal to the magus' class level to Armor Class and saving throws.
Refutation - creatures within 5ft/level of the magus take a Will save, and are instantly knocked prone upon failure. Creatures adjacent to the magus have -5 on their save.

Enta (hope) Without hope we are prisoners of the moment. Without mindfulness we are made fools by hope.
Command - one other creature within 100ft + 10ft/level currently under the effect of a malign spell gets a new save to end the effect, with a bonus equal to magus level. The magus may make a DC 25 Concentration check to invoke this command upon themself.
Refutation - one creature within 30ft/level takes a Will save, at -10 if it has lost more than a quarter of its HP. If it fails it cowers for one round.

Ea (love) We are all bound one to another by a shared state of existence, pieces of a greater design. But the design is not peaceful; it is built upon division and opposition.
Command - one creature within 30ft/level takes a Will save. If it fails, it temporarily ceases combat and its attitude towards the magus and their allies becomes friendly for one round per magus level. The magus gains +10 on Diplomacy checks made towards the creature for the duration of this effect.
Refutation - one creature within 30ft/level takes a Will save. If it fails, it goes into a rage as though it were an 11th-level barbarian, lasting for one round per magus level. If the creature cannot identify an enemy within the range of its charge, it will attack the closest creature instead.

PLAYING A MAGUS OF THE SEVEN STARS
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[unosarta]

Protector of the Hidden Gate


[1]

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[2]

”You are tasked to heal only those who are good? And how do you tell what is good and what is evil? You are tasked to protect those who are innocent? Are any of us really innocent?”

Ohrim Sonn, Protector of the Hidden Gate, to a cleric of Pelor.

The Protectors of the Hidden Gate are a group of psions that use their empathetic powers in order to heal. They are tasked with keeping the Hidden Gate. The Hidden Gate represents the access and opening to the heart, mind and soul of a person, the Hidden Gate itself being the body. Without a healthy or strong body, one does not stand a chance of protecting their mind, heart or soul, and can be corrupted and controlled. Thusly, it is the philosophy of the Protector of the Hidden Gate that they must heal the gate; and therefore keep the heart, mind and soul from harm.

BECOMING A PROTECTOR OF THE HIDDEN GATE
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Heal 6 ranks
Feats: Self-Sufficient, Mind Over Body.
Powers: Must be able to manifest the Body Adjustment power; must know a power that deals damage and allows you to choose the type of damage (E.G. Fire, Cold, Electricity, Sonic, Acid, etc).

Class Skills
The Protector of the Hidden Gate's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Psionic) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Survival (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Manifesting

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Gate to the Heart|+1 level of existing manifesting class

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Light and Shadow|+1 level of existing manifesting class

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Eyes of Dusk|+1 level of existing manifesting class

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Light of Dawn|+1 level of existing manifesting class

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

|Gate to the Mind|+1 level of existing manifesting class

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Balance the Gates|+1 level of existing manifesting class

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Eyes of Dawn|+1 level of existing manifesting class

8th|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|

+6

|Shadows of Dusk|+1 level of existing manifesting class

9th|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Gate to the Soul|+1 level of existing manifesting class[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: The Protector of the Hidden Gate doesn’t gain proficiency with any weapons or armor.

Manifesting: At every every level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, and so on).

If a character had more than one manifesting class before he became a Protector of the Hidden Gate, he must decide to which class he adds the new level of Protector of the Hidden Gate for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Gate to the Heart (Su): Whenever the Protector of the Hidden Gates heals himself with his Body Adjustment power, he may choose to also heal a friendly ally within 30 feet for the same amount. This is not positive or negative energy, and does not harm undead.

Light and Shadow: Starting at second level, for any power that deals damage and allows you to choose the type of damage (E.G. Fire, Cold, Electricity, Sonic, etc.), you may choose to deal Positive Energy or Negative Energy instead. Positive energy heals those who are of the good alignment, and deals negative energy to those who are of the evil alignment. Negative energy deals negative energy to those who are of the good alignment, and heals those who are evil. The healing from this effect is positive energy, and does harm undead, and the negative energy heals undead. Neutral creatures affected by the Protector of the Hidden Gate’s energy line of powers’ must be designated as allies or enemies by the Protector of the Hidden Gate. Allies are treated as good for the purposes of this ability, and enemies are considered evil.

Eyes of Dusk (Su): Starting at third level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate can detect evil at will, as the spell. He can also detect spells and powers with an alignment descriptor that is the opposite alignment to his own, or spells and powers cast by a caster or manifester with an alignment opposite to his own (E.G. A Lawful Good Protector could detect a spell with the Chaotic or Evil descriptor, or a spell cast by a caster who was Chaotic Evil), as the Detect Magic spell. At seventh level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate becomes able to detect alignment, as the spells, and can detect any spell with an alignment descriptor, as the Detect Magic spell. He still may only detect spells and powers cast from casters and manifesters with alignments opposite to his own.

Light of Dawn (Su): Starting at fourth level, the Protector of the Hidden gate may spend 7 power points to create a 60 foot cone of positive energy, healing the living and damaging the undead, as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. This effect heals a number of damage equal to the one half of the Protector of the Hidden Gate levels that the user possesses. Any healed or damaged are also healed or damage for one half of the original amount, every round, for two rounds after they are first healed or damaged. The Protector of the Hidden Gate may augment this ability by spending extra power points, and increases the original amount healed or damaged by 1d6 for every 2 power points spent in excess of the base cost.

Gate to the Mind (Su): Starting at fifth level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate gives all allies within 30 feet a bonus to will saves equal to one half of the Protector of the Hidden Gate’s Protector of the Hidden Gate levels, and Spell Resistance equal to 10 + one half of his Manifester level. The Protector of the Hidden Gate may suspend or resume this ability as a swift action, and anyone affected by this ability may choose to ignore the Spell Resistance if they cast a spell on themselves, or if they choose to let a spell affect them.

Balance the Gates (Su): Starting at sixth level, every time the Protector of the Hidden Gate heals a living being or damages an undead with positive energy, he increases the damage of his next ability that deals negative energy by 2d6 damage. Whenever he damages a living being or heals an undead with negative energy, he increases the healing or damage of his next ability that deals positive energy or heals by 2d6. This increased damage only lasts until the end of combat.

Eyes of Dawn (Su): Starting at seventh level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate may confer the healing via negative energy and damage via positive energy that undead have to a living creature within 30 feet, or the damage via negative energy and healing via positive energy that living creatures have, to an undead creature within 30 feet, as a move action. This effect lasts a number of minutes equal to the manifester level of the Protector of the Hidden Gate.

Shadow of Dusk (Su): Starting at eighth level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate may channel pure shadows into a target within 30 feet as a standard action. By spending 11 power points, and maintaining concentration, the Protector of the Hidden Gate may deal 1d6 negative energy damage per level of Protector of the Hidden Gate that he possesses to all creatures within 10 feet of his target per round that concentration is maintained (this does not include the target). The Protector of the Hidden Gate may only maintain concentration for up to 3 rounds, and must wait 2 rounds before using this ability again. The negative energy of this ability heals the undead, and damages the living.

Gate to the Soul (Su): Starting at ninth level, the Protector of the Hidden Gate may, once per day, by spending 80 power points as a full round action, True Resurrect and Animate Dead any the corpses of any allies within 30 feet. He may only True Resurrect and Animate Dead up to 1 ally per two levels of Protector of the Hidden Gate he possesses. Any creatures Resurrected or Animated in this way return their Ability scores to the way they had been exactly 24 hours before being Resurrected or Animated, and they are restored to full health. If an undead ally was created less than 24 hours ago, they return to the Ability scores they had upon being first Animated.


PLAYING A PROTECTOR OF THE HIDDEN GATE
Playing a Protector of the Hidden Gate is not like playing your average healer. One could focus on healing, bringing peace to those who deserve it, or dealing damage to evil enemies, or using single target energy powers to heal allies, or healing himself and an ally with the body adjustment power. Really, the play styles and options are varied and wide.
Combat: In most cases, the Protector of the Hidden Gate will start out combat by dealing damage with his or her energy line of spells, or by buffing himself or his allies with powers in his arsenal, and only heal once allies take a large amount of damage. Past that point, play styles vary largely with the levels that the Protector of the Hidden Gate possesses in this class. At level two, he becomes able to heal with his Energy line of spells, while dealing damage to evil enemies. Of course, this does lead to some problems with good enemies, but that is why he is also able to heal evil enemies or harm good ones. At fourth level, the Protector gains access to a fairly powerful heal that also continues to heal allies after being used, which becomes a very good opening move before his allies enter the fray of combat. As you can see, the abilities of the Protector allow him to open up several playstyles and paths to choose from.
Advancement: Advancement for Protectors of the Hidden Gate is a very shallow deal. Few classes deal with healing in a psionic way, and they do not truly mesh with the Protector of the Hidden Gate prestige class. Of course, other psionic prestige classes can be of some use. After all, what is healing without Minions? Otherwise, more of the manifesting class used to qualify for this class is good, or any class that progresses manifesting can be used, in reality.
Resources: Protectors of the Hidden Gate, like most psionic classes, tend to eschew material goods, although for differing reasons. Rather than for power, most Protectors of the Hidden Gate eschew the material because of their draw to metaphysical healing, and the metaphysical in general. They tend to be very distanced from the realities of the world, maybe as a way to cope with all of the horror that a healer is sure to face in their career.

PROTECTORS OF THE HIDDEN GATE IN THE WORLD
”That man just sat there, while the rest of them sliced at the dragon. I swear, he was sitting the whole time, his hands on his knees, and a smile on his face. And then; boom! The dragon falls over, a look of horror and pain on his face, while the others’ cuts and gashes slowly sewed themselves shut. It was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen!”

Kid Cessily, outlaw of the Winding Road.

Most people in the world tend to view the Protectors of the Hidden Gate as any other healer; a pleasure to know, and someone who is very, very handy to have on call. Few recognize them as unique, or even special at all. They tend to be looked down upon, slightly, by other healing classes, but only because they do not utilize Divine magic, like most others.
Daily Life: Because of the variety of Protectors, they tend to not have a very “scheduled” life. Most spend some part of their time healing, either working for pay or as volunteers. Some tend to the undead, rather than the living, viewing it as their duty to balance the scales of life and death, and provide peace and comfort for those of the nonliving persuasion.
Notables: Tasloroth, Singer of the Heavenly Psalms, is one of the most famous Protectors of the Hidden Gate. He was known to heal indiscriminantly, to anyone in pain.
Organizations: Protectors of the Hidden Gate have several smaller healing guilds dedicated to their class, but none large enough to compare with the healing guilds of Clerics and other users of Divine magic.

NPC Reaction
Most people simply view Protectors of the Hidden Gate as eclectic healers, strange monks. Often they are mistaken for clerics or other users of divine magic, for their focus on positive and negative energies.

PROTECTORS OF THE HIDDEN GATE IN THE GAME
Protectors of the Hidden Gate provide their own challenges for a player. Statistically, they function similarly to a cleric, but with a much lower array of buffing magic. They tend to be slightly weaker than clerics, certainly not in the first tier, if using the tier system.
Adaptation: Protectors of the Hidden Gate can be adapted in many, many ways. For instance, rather than leaving alignment open, one could force them to be either good or evil, focusing on positive and negative energy respectively. They could function as the main source of healing for an otherwise medically bereft psionic society.
Encounters: Many encounters with Protectors of the Hidden Gate will be peaceful ones. Rarely do Protectors actively provoke combat, and they rarely are able to sustain it by themselves, requiring allies or minions to do some dirty work.

[boomwolf]

Angel of Death



Angel of Death, first an Angel, then of Death.
-Ceastiel, Angel of Death

When your knight is shining armor rushes to the rescue, and explore dungeons he often finds himself fighting many creatures of darkness, especially the never resting darkness of the Undead, those who often come to devour life and destroy all that is good and pure.

In their fights, the knight is shining armor sometimes finds himself troubled with his enemy. these Undead are the bodies and trapped souls of the fallen who serve evil at the leisure of dark mages, with the forces of good being unable to respond to the tide of expendable warriors.

This train of thought lead some to the path of the Angel of Death, a warrior of light who specializes in using the weapons of darkness against them, turning necromancery against the darkness, and punishing evil with the same soul torturing methods of their own invention.

BECOMING AN ANGEL OF DEATH
Becoming and Angel of death is a slippery road, one that many fear to follow, and rightfully so, as the powers granted by this path provide a constant temptation to evil that not many can endure, as such the vast majority of Angels of Death are Paladins, as they follow a similar code anyway. however there are examples of other warriors of light to pursue this path, any class who grants the ability to Smite Evil and Turn Undead can be used to become and Angel of Death.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Good
Base attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Weapon Focus (Scythe),Combat Expertise, Improved Trip
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks.
Class Abilities:Smite Evil, Turn Undead
Special: must have fought undead multiple times

Class Skills
The Angle of Death’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Heal (Wis) Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis) and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2+int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+0

|

+0

|Code of Contract, Righteous Path, Compel Undead

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+0

|Draining Smite

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|

+1

|Animate Dead 1/day

4th|

+4

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Sealing Smite

5th|

+5

|

+4

|

+1

|

+1

|Fear the Reaper

6th|

+6

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Animate Dead 2/day

7th|

+7

|

+5

|

+2

|

+2

|Angel's Wings

8th|

+8

|

+6

|

+2

|

+2

|Annihilating Smite

9th|

+9

|

+6

|

+3

|

+3

|Animate Dead 3/day

10th|

+10

|

+7

|

+3

|

+3

|Resurrection 1/day[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An Angel of Death gains no new Proficiencies.

Code of Contract:
An Angel of Death must remain within Good alignment, and never willingly harm an innocent, but unlike a paladin may do evil to prevent greater evil.

If an angel of death already has a Code of Contract from being a paladin, this code overrides the old one.

If an Angel of Death breaks this code he looses all spell like and supernatural abilities except Animate Dead, Compel Undead and Fear the Reaper granted by this class until he corrects the damage he has does and then receive an atonement spell.

Righteous Path:
Levels of Angel of Death stack with the levels of the classes that granted you Turn Undead and Smite evil to determine daily uses their effectiveness, if you gain these abilities of multiple sources choose one.

In addition, levels of Angel of Death counts as though as they were fighter levels for prerequisites of taking feats with Weapon Focus as a prerequisite as long you choose scythe. (or in case of less weapon specific any choice that applies to the scythe)

Compel Undead (Su)
The power of an Angel of Death over undead is much greater then most warrior of light, he may use his turn attempts to control undead much like an evil cleric can.

Draining Smite (Su)
Whenever a second level Angel of Death Smites Evil with a scythe he gains hit points equal to the amount of damage dealt by the smite. (only the smite itself, not the entire attack. and no more then they creature's current hit points.)

Animate Dead (Sp)
A third level Angel of Death can use Animate Dead as a spell-like ability once per day. at sixth level he can do so twice a day, and at ninth three times a day.

Using this ability on the body of a non-evil creature, unless grant outright permission of the creature while his is fully aware of the consequences and in no way deceived or manipulated, counts as a violation of the Code of Contract.

Sealing Smite (Su)
The forth level Angel of Death has learned more methods of darkness, and he is capable of capturing souls of his enemies, whenever an Angel of Death of forth level kills an enemy with a Smite attack using a scythe he may drain the soul of the slain foe into his scythe, making it impossible to resurrect them until the scythe is destroyed. this also works against lichs, ghosts and other self-resurrecting undead.

Fear the Reaper (Su)
A fifth level Angel of Death can unsettle foes with its mere presence. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the Angel of Death attacks, charges, or flies overhead. (See Angel's Wings.) Creatures who are not allies with the Angel of Death within a radius of 100 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer HD than the Angel of Death. A potentially affected creature that succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + Angel of Death class level + Cha modifier) remains immune to that Angel of Death’s Fear the Reaper for 24 hours. On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds.

Angel's Wings (Ex)
A seventh level Angel of Death begins to become an actual Angel, despite his unusual methods. as such he sprouts a pair of feathery wings, who usually have a dark shade to them.
These wings allows the Angel of Death to have a fly speed of 50 ft. with good maneuverability.

Annihilating Smite (Su)
An eighth level Angel of Death learns how not only to seal the souls of his opponents, but to outright destroy them. whenever he slays a foe with his Smite attack using a smite, he may choose to outright destroy the soul of the target, making it impossible to return his to life by any means. this ability can also destroy lichs, ghosts and other such creatures.

Due to the irreversible an dark nature of this attack, using it is considered to be breaking the Code of Contract, unless outright necessary in order to stop an even greater evil. an exception of this would be using this ability against a creature who has does a similar thing before, this kind of attack is then acceptable even if not necessary.

Resurrection (Sp)
A tenth level Angel of Death has learned not only to seal and destroy souls, but to restore them. can use Resurrection as a spell-like ability once per day.

PLAYING AN ANGEL OF DEATH
You have seen the horrors of the world, the pain that evil spreads and the unequal fighting ground in which good is forbidden from means evil finds obvious. the power evil has over the souls of the fallen angers you, and you swear to give them a taste of their own medication.
Though you follow the same goals of all warriors of light you are untrusted amongst them, or even downright hated and cast away, they see your dealing with the dark energies of necromancery as a vile tool, regardless of what you achieve with it. even if they accept you as one of their own, then always look down on you.
Most Angels of Death are not proud of what they do, but they understand the necessary to permanently destroy evil and to allow the forces of good a supply of warriors who are not as irreplaceable as mortals. you have faced the harsh truth of the world, and you chose to even the playing field, accepting the risk of losing your own soul. after all, what is your soul in comparison to all the evil you get rid for good?

Combat: You are more then a warrior, you are a judge, an exciter, and an undertaker. a permanent one. if at all possible you favor taking out opponents who, like you, hold power over souls-as being the only one around gives you an edge. you are not as honorable as more warriors of light, and most likely willing to send your undead minions to do the dirty work for you if you deem that for the best, you rarely take prisoners, you accept the fact that some threats cannot be permitted to live, and that even death is not always enough. as you go through your enemies, it is likely some of them will find their death at the hands of your previous targets.

Advancement: Before learning the secrets of the Angels of Death you were frustrated by how the very souls of the agents of good were tortured and imprisoned, forced to serve evil while the souls of evil were left alone to rise from the dead and return to their dark ways. you often insisted for giving your enemies "an eye for an eye", treating them as they treat other. this could have led you into conflict with other warriors of light, and you probably fell from grace more then once for torturing an helpless evil one, or executing a surrendered evil.
As an Angel of Death you realize that they only thing to fight off evil is fear of the consequences, and as such you may want to invest in Intimidate, even if you never thought about this skill before. Sense Motive is also critical to detect said evil, and Knowledge (religion) ensures your battle against and alongside the undead goes your favor, as you know what you face.
Considering your powerful smite variants, you may want to invest in feats who allow you to smite more often or more powerfully, or in any way enchant this attack method. feats who improve upon your fear ability or undead manipulation can also be of great value.

Resources: An Angel of Death has an unusual resource comparing to other agents of good, the body and soul of his evil foes. an Angel of Death has no central source of power to attend to, but as they all share a goal they help each other almost unquestionably, and so do many others who appreciate the cause.
Some Angels of Death join the Order of the Black Sun (organizations below) and as such enjoy the protection, intel of evil and quick allies granted by the order, as well as a sanctuary to rest in and a source to call for reinforcements to face evil too powerful for themselves to handle alone, but the order is not very forgiving, and falling would make it an enemy, and the fallen a high priority target, unless he atones very, very quickly.

ANGELS OF DEATH IN THE WORLD
Seeing his undead army we were sure he served the shadow, turns out he was brighter then us.
-Darious, a Paladin of Tyr.

In any game that features less then black-and-white morality, and Angel of Death might rise from the ranks of the warriors of light as a punisher and an instrument of terror who turns himself against the darkest of evil and most vile ones. these people are nothing less then an "evil is good when used properly" type of morality, and as such go great lengths to justify their actions.

Daily Life: The daily life of an Angel of Death is a hash one, while he constantly searches for where his unusual skills are required, he is also in constant grief of the actions he must take to protect the innocent. you can expect an Angel of Death to pray a lot, perhaps seeking for comfort from his god as for the evil he must do, perhaps looking for inner strength not to become tempted by the dark sources of his powers.

Notables: The most notable of all Angels of Death is non other then the grim reaper himself (if exists in your setting), however all Angels of Death are prone to get much reputation, for better or worse, as they want evil to know and fear them, in hope he will be too afraid of the consensuses to do truly horrid things, or even seek outright redemption.
Another extraordinary Angel of Death is Ceastiel Shadowbane, he tended to be a bit overzealous in his expeditions, yet highly merciful towards those who seek redemption, giving him the nickname of the "Black Saint", in his expeditions he has slayed, sealed and destroyed the souls of dozens of necromancers, demons and devil, until he went too far, sacrificed innocents to create soldiers to fight off a powerful demon, lost his own soul to darkness, and found his death in the hands of his own disciples, who, as he requested of them if he falls, have sealed his soul in his own scythe, that is now stationed in the Temple of the Black Sun (organizations below)

Organizations: The only known organization of Angels of Death is the Order of the Black Sun, Ceastiel's own making. the order is made up mostly of former followers of Pelor, and is unique in the fact that the young are instructed to slay the elder if they ever give in to the darkness, and as such the order is relatively small, yet one of the purest in the world. the order is perhaps the single most terrifying organization of good, and few others dare to deal with it as enemies or as allies.
The order's seat of power, the Temple of the Black Sun, is nothing less then a fortress, guarded by the Angels of Death and several clerics who support them, in the heart of the temple lies Ceastiel's scythe, who was used to seal his soul, and is now a ritualistic execution device for captured evils even since. it is said that if the scythe would ever be destroyed then thousands of evil souls would be unleashed unto the world, including Ceastiel's own, beginning a new era of darkness.

NPC Reaction
Not many commoners can tell the difference between an Angel of Death and a brutish necromancer, and as such they are feared, loathed, an many times have to face a mob (who they are likely to scare away.), but when it comes to the champions of good and evil, things are very, very different.
A champion of light who recognizes an Angel of Death as such is likely to dislike him, yet get not in his way, they acknowledge that they are on the same side, yet their disagreement to the method is likely to alienate them.
A champion of evil, on the other hand, will respond to the mere knowledge of the presence of an Angel of Death in the area with utmost fear. this is a foe he definably cannot afford to lose to, an one who will not find any method below them to to achieve victory. the forces of evil will do their very best to destroy, deceive or gain the forgiveness of the Angel of Death.

ANGEL OF DEATH IN THE GAME
Angels of Death should not be hard to integrate into any game who features a struggle between good and evil, even if not a full-scale war. it's not hard to imagine that some who side with good an openly fight evil an corruption would allow themselves to sink into less-then-ethical means to achieve the goals of greater good.
A good way to introduce players to Angels of Death is to encounter one who fights against the very same evil the players do, seeing him fight for an obviously good cause using obviously evil means is bound to confuse you players and make them interest in the fellow, who he is, and what side is he on anyway.
As for Angels of Death as player characters, this could get complex. while you ARE fighting for good, you seem evil-so a party with one alongside it will raise a few eyebrows at the very least. tension might also rise between the Angel of Death to characters who deeply oppose undead, especially Clerics of Pelor.
Adaptation: There is not much to adapt in this class, an evil variant might be created, but would loose much of the flavor, and the Resurrection ability would be a bit odd. this class should not require much adaptation to fit anywhere.
Encounters: Encounters with Angels of Death will varied a lot from good to evil or evil neutral parties.
While a goo party is likely to engage one if they hunt him down because they think he is evil, an evil party will find the Angel of Death hunting THEM down.
A good way to encounter one is to meet him while he is busy fighting against an evil necromancer, even if it is only a fight between the minions of each. seeing two necromancery-focused characters fight each other can raise serious questions about who to help, and if they should even intervene. at the very least they will wait to see how it en and then ask questions, at the very worse it might even turn into a three-way battle.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Lord_Gareth]

Umbral Celebrant


An Umbral Celebrant emerges from hiding with a surprise for evildoers.

"Of course you're not alone in the dark - I'm here to watch your back."

Umbral Celebrants are mages and priests that call upon the power of darkness in order to aid and succor others. Devoted to darkness as a mothering, protective concept, Umbral Celebrants defend the weak and the innocent and can often be found using their talents for illusion and surprise to aid adventuring parties seeking to stem damage from the ravages of evil. Though their miens can be somewhat disturbing to those unused to them, Umbral Celebrants usually manage to make friends no matter where they go - even if all they have is a dusky smile.

Becoming an Umbral Celebrant
Umbral Celebrants were all, at some point, spellcasters - the path is simply not open to those that cannot cast their own spells and gaze upon aspects of reality undreamt of by the untutored. That being said, most Celebrants had an affinity for darkness for most of their lives; a preference for night-time, an underground lifestyle, a thirst for knowledge, a pained soul - the exact affinity doesn't matter as much as the connection to shade and night. The difference between these characters and the ones that go down more vile paths is simple, but profound: a conscience. Many might be scared by their affinity for shadows; others romanticize it, seeing a kindly face or a motherly gaze behind the folds of night. In probing the secrets of darkness, they do so with care, seeking to aid others - and, eventually, they stumble upon the power inherent in the Umbral mantle.

Most Celebrants are or were Sorcerers or Favored Souls, though a scattering of other classes do manage to walk the path of Umbral Celebration. As such, most Umbral Celebrants are forceful personalities that back up their convictions with the power of darkness and potent spellcasting. Those few Umbral Celebrants that enter from classes such as Wizard or Cleric tend to be more thoughtful and inclined towards philosophy, and tend to be the Celebrants that publish books on their art.

Entry Requirements
In order to qualify as an Umbral Celebrant, a character must meet the following requirements:
Alignment: Any good
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Hide 4 ranks
Feats: Skill Focus (Hide)
Caster Level: 5th
Spells: Must be able to cast at least one spell with the darkness descriptor
Special: The character must put out her own eyes in a magical ritual that permanently alters her sight.

Sidebar: Ex-Umbral Celebrants

Spoiler

Show

An Umbral Celebrant that ceases to be good-aligned loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities from this class, with one exception that is detailed below. She regains these supernatural and spell-like abilities if she once again becomes good-aligned.

Upon the culmination of the ritual that grants them entrance to this class, the Umbral Celebrant puts out her own eyes, granting her the Child of Darkness class feature. Unlike her other class features, an ex-Umbral Celebrant never loses Child of Darkness, even if she no longer qualifies for this class or loses all levels she has in it.

Class Skills
The Umbral Celebrant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Any, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language (N/A), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis)
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells per Day

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Child of Darkness, Cloak of Night|-

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Darkness Domain|+1 existing spellcasting class level

3rd|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Midnight Succor|+1 existing spellcasting class level

4th|

+2

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Midnight Glory, Umbral Fortitude|+1 existing spellcasting class level

5th|

+2

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Tenebrous Shield|+1 existing spellcasting class level

6th|

+3

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Ebon Crusader|+1 existing spellcasting class level

7th|

+3

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Umbral Stride|+1 existing spellcasting class level

8th|

+4

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Hide in Plain Sight|+1 existing spellcasting class level

9th|

+4

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Shadowed Chosen|+1 existing spellcasting class level

10th|

+5

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Midnight Wrath|-[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An Umbral Celebrant doesn't gain any new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: At every level except first and tenth, the Umbral Celebrant gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (such as bonus feats or increased familiar capability). If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became an Umbral Celebrant, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Umbral Celebrant for the purpose of determining spells per day/spells known.

Child of Darkness (Su): The magical ritual that the Umbral Celebrant enacts to enter this class alters herself and her magic permanently. The Umbral Celebrant may still see despite having no eyes; however, she treats all darkness (including magical darkness) as bright illumination and bright illumination as darkness (with magical illumination forcing the same penalties upon her that magical darkness would force upon other characters). She may still benefit from her darkvision and/or low-light vision, if any, in order to see into areas of bright illumination. No spell or ability short of divine intervention may regenerate the Umbral Celebrant's eyes; however, even if she regains her eyes, her vision remains altered.

Furthermore, the Umbral Celebrant loses all ability to cast spells that either rely on light or have the light descriptor (examples include daylight and hypnotic pattern). However, she casts illusions and spells with the darkness descriptor with a +2 bonus to her caster level. Lastly, while within areas of darkness or shadowy illumination, the Umbral Celebrant gains a +4 deflection bonus to her armor class as the darkness enshrouds and protects her.

Cloak of Night (Su): The most basic power of darkness is to shroud oneself and one's allies in a cloak of night; as a swift action, the Umbral Celebrant may cause the light within a thirty-foot radius sphere around her to dim into shadowy illumination (this sphere is centered on the Umbral Celebrant and moves with her). The Umbral Celebrant and her allies (as well as any being she designates) may see just fine within the Cloak of Night and suffer no penalties whatsoever from it. An Umbral Celebrant may use her Cloak of Night for a total number of rounds per day equal to her caster level plus her charisma modifier (the bonus from her Umbral Spells class feature applies). These rounds need not be taken consecutively, and may be broken down into increments as small as one round if the Umbral Celebrant so desires.

Natural and magical sources of light cannot dispel the Umbral Celebrant's Cloak of Night. Outside of an encounter, the Umbral Celebrant may call upon this ability more or less at-will, though she must wait at least five minutes between activations.

Darkness Domain (Su): At second level, the Umbral Celebrant's studies grant her access to the Darkness clerical domain; she gains its granted power and adds its spells to her list of spells known. Umbral Celebrants that cast spells as a cleric does gain the option of preparing Darkness spells in their domain slot when preparing spells; Umbral Celebrants that do not otherwise use domains gain no further benefit.

Midnight Succor (Su): Starting at third level, the Umbral Celebrant exerts an odd pull on the darkness and shadows near her, calling to the soothing nature of night and shade. She and her allies may gain "drink" from any area of darkness or shadowy illumination that the Umbral Celebrant stands in, just as if it were water (though they are never in danger of drowning). Furthermore, any of them may spend a full-round action to drink deep of the shadows, benefiting from the effects of a lesser restoration spell as cast by a cleric of the Umbral Celebrant's caster level.

Midnight Glory (Su): An Umbral Celebrant of fourth level or higher is marked by the touch of darkness, striding through the world as one of its favored children. The Umbral Celebrant carries a halo of soothing darkness with her - this may manifest as a literal halo of shadows around her head, a tenebrous nimbus, or anything the Celebrant might imagine (once designed, this halo does not change). The Celebrant may choose to activate or deactivate this halo as a free action, and while it is active she gains the following benefits:

- Good and/or neutral aligned beings that can see the halo are aware of the Umbral Celebrant's good alignment, and the Celebrant gains a +2 sacred bonus to her Diplomacy checks against such beings. However, an active halo provides the Celebrant with a +2 sacred bonus on Bluff checks against evil-aligned beings as its shadows cloud their perceptions.

- The halo, while active, provides a +2 sacred bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks made by the Umbral Celebrant.

Umbral Fortitude (Su): As the Umbral Celebrant increases in power, she takes more of the darkness into herself; a Celebrant of fourth level and higher is immune to fatigue and exhaustion, as well as granting her a +2 sacred bonus to constitution.

Tenebrous Shield (Su): Starting at fifth level, the shadows that the Umbral Celebrant calls home move to actively shield her and her allies, protecting them from the harshness of the elements and deflecting blows away from them. The Umbral Celebrant and any allied being within the area of her Cloak of Night ability (or within the area of any spell with the darkness descriptor that the Umbral Celebrant has cast) gains resistance 15 to cold and fire damage; furthermore, the Umbral Celebrant's allies (but not the Celebrant herself) gain a +4 sacred bonus to their armor class.

Ebon Crusader (Su): Starting at sixth level, evil-aligned beings suffer a -4 penalty to all saving throws made against the Umbral Celebrant's illusion and/or darkness descriptor spells. Additionally, any damage the Umbral Celebrant deals to an evil-aligned being with an illusion spell increases by one die step.

Umbral Stride (Su): An Umbral Celebrant of seventh level or higher truly calls the darkness her home and can move through it unchallenged and unopposed; the Umbral Celebrant and any of her allies within the area of her Cloak of Night (or within the area of any spell with the darkness descriptor that the Umbral Celebrant has cast) ignore difficult terrain, including terrain that would cause them damage.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): An Umbral Celebrant of eighth level or higher may hide even while being observed (and without anything to actually hide behind) as long as she is within an area of shadowy illumination or darkness (including her Cloak of Night, but not her own shadow).

Shadowed Chosen (Su): An Umbral Celebrant of ninth level or higher becomes nearly one with the shadows she loves, able to extend their protective reach to her allies and innocents; she gains immunity to negative energy, energy drain and death effects. As a swift action, she may extend this immunity to another being within one hundred feet for a number of rounds equal to her charisma modifier (note that there is no limit to the number of beings she may grant immunity in this fashion).

Upon gaining this ability, the Umbral Celebrant exudes her Cloak of Night on a constant basis, though she may deactivate or reactivate it as a free action, should she so choose.

Midnight Wrath (Su):

Playing an Umbral Celebrant

Combat:
Advancement: Umbral Celebrants almost always advance as spellcasters; those few that do not typically advance as rogues.
Resources: Because Umbral Celebrants tend to be solitary, they have no especial reserves of resources upon which to draw.

Umbral Celebrants in the World
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

Umbral Celebrants in the Game
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

[TheAmishPirate]

Dragonkin




Oh, him? Traveling friend. I keep him out of trouble and feed him well, and he doesn’t try to nip my arm off. It’s a pretty good deal.
-Anonymous Dragonkin

Imagine you are out gathering firewood when something knocks you hard to the ground. You grasp for your dagger as you roll toward your feet, and find a reptillian face starting back at you. A wyrmling! Suddenly your dagger seems rather inadequate. You sprint away, praying to any deities that come to mind that it isn't feeling hungry. After a fair distance, you glance back. It hasn't moved all that much. It should have at least chased you a little. Something isn't right here. Safely behind a tree, you watch it a while longer. Did it just run into a rock? It paws at the air in front of its snout. Its eyes seem dull and unfocused, not like the blazing pits of fury you hear in the stories. Another few minutes, and all its done is introduced itself to a stump and a bush. Flecks of blood start dropping from its bruised nose. It stops wandering around and flops to the ground, scratching at its face. Ah, so that's its game. The old wounded predator trick. Well, you won't be fooled that easily. You creep through the underbrush, giving it a wide berth as you head back to camp. You're just about out of the clearing when hear a soft whining behind you. A skillful actor, this one. You turn back one more time, and you find yourself still staring at the little thing. Aren't they supposed to be bigger than this? And are those its ribs? It's barely more than scales and bones. Its not even lifting its head now, and its eyes are closed. You look back toward camp, then back to the clearing. A few minutes later, you leave cradling a small bundle in your arms.

And that is essentially a Dragonkin; someone who finds a Dragon Runt in the wild and decides to care for it.

BECOMING A DRAGONKIN
While finding a Dragon Runt itself may not be difficult, Dragonkin have to be able to care for it without having it turn on them. Those with prior experience with handling creatures have the most success. A good heart helps as well; not everyone would stop and give the Dragon Runt a second glance. Druids and Rangers are best suited for this class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Good
Skills: Handle Animal 7 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 3 ranks
Special: Ability to have an Animal Companion, Encounter and befriend a Dragon Runt (see entry below)
Languages Known: Draconic

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana, Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str)
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Divine Casting
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Dragon Runt Companion | +1 level of existing Divine Casting class
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Spell Adaptation | +1 level of existing Divine Casting class
3rd | +2| +1 | +1 | +3 | Draconic Hide | +1 level of existing Divine Casting class
4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Empathic Bond (10) | +1 level of existing Divine Casting class
5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Helping Hand | +1 level of existing Divine Casting class
6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Channel Breath Weapon, Empathic Bond (20) | +1 level of existing Divine Casting class
7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Lend Strength | -
8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Empathic Bond (30) | -
9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Symbiotic Allies | -
10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Fusion, Empathic Bond (40) | - [/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Dragonkin gains no armor or weapons proficiencies.

Dragon Runt Companion: The Dragon Runt that you have befriended becomes your new animal companion. This ability functions as the Druid Animal Companion ability, and Dragonkin levels stack with your effective druid level for determining HD, Natural Armor bonus, Str/Dex bonus, Tricks known, and special abilities, albeit at a -1 penalty. If the Dragonkin had more Ranger levels than Druid levels before becoming a Dragonkin, the -1 penalty is waived.

The Dragon Runt’s breath weapon also grows in power as you grow in power. Its breath weapon deals a number of damage dice equal to your Dragonkin level.

Divine Spellcasting Progression: At levels 1 through 6, the Dragonkin gains more spells per day and an additional caster level as if he had also gained a level in a Divine Spellcasting class he has levels in. He gains no other benefits of gaining a level in this other class. If he has more than one class that grants Divine spells, he must choose one to apply the bonus levels to.

Spell Adaptation (Ex): At 2nd level, a Dragonkin can cast spells on their Dragon Runt companion that normally require an animal to be the target, such as Animal Growth.

Draconic Hide (Ex): At 3rd level, the Dragonkin’s skin takes on a scale-like quality, perhaps due to the latent magic within his companion. He gains a Natural Armor bonus equal to half the Dragon Runt’s Natural Armor bonus calculated after the Animal Companion AC bonus and before any other increases in Natural Armor.

Empathic Bond (Su): At 4th level, a Dragonkin and his companion may split damage they take. Whenever either one takes damage, they may assign up to 10 points of the damage they take to their partner. This damage cap increases by 10 every two levels. This ability may be used regardless of the distance between the two. Assigning damage in this way is a free action.

When assigning damage to their partner, the one transferring damage knows roughly how well their partner can handle the amount of damage they are about to give them. Before assigning damage, they sense if their partner is “healthy (> 50% hit points after damage is assigned), “wounded” (< 50% hit points after damage is assigned), or “critical” (assigning damage would drop them below 0 hit points).

A Dragonkin or his companion may also choose to willingly take damage from their partner. Doing so is an immediate action taken when the other is damaged. In order to do this, they must be able to know when their partner is taking damage, either by sight or magical means.

At 7th level, the Dragonkin and his companion can use a swift action to sense the condition of their partner. They can be "healthy" (> 50% hit points), "wounded" (< 50% hit points), or "critical" (< 0 hit points).

Helping Hand (Su): At 5th level, the Dragonkin can help their companion with their disability. Based on the deformity of the Dragon Runt, it gains one of the following abilities:

Blind: A blind Dragon Runt gains the ability to see through the Dragonkin’s eyes. If the Dragonkin gains any other ways of sensing, such as blindsight or tremorsense, these abilities are also shared. There is no limit to the range of this ability.

Grounded: A grounded Dragon Runt gains the ability to fly at will as the Overland Flight spell within a 50 ft. radius of the Dragonkin. Attempting to go outside of this radius will cause the effect to end and the Dragon Runt will start falling.

Crippled: A crippled Dragon Runt gains the ability to use their Dragonkin as a mount. While doing so, the Dragon Runt can use the Stay in Saddle, Cover, Soft Fall, Spur Mount, and Attack from Cover actions, but at half the usual Ride DC and without the penalty for using Ride without a saddle. The Dragonkin can still move and act normally.

Channel Breath Weapon: At level 6 a Dragon Runt can use a standard action to channel their breath weapon into their Dragonkin. In the Dragonkin’s next round, all attacks deal extra elemental damage equal to half of the Dragon Runt’s breath weapon damage. If the Dragonkin does not attack this round, the effect is wasted, and the Dragon Runt must wait another 1d4 rounds before using its breath weapon again. At level 8 the Dragon Runt need only use a move action to use this ability.

Example: A 6th level Dragonkin has a Black Dragon Runt companion. Normally, his companion deals 6d4 acid damage in a line with its Breath Weapon. When it channels its breath weapon into the Dragonkin, he deals an additional 3d4 acid damage with all of his attacks for the next round.

Lend Strength (Su): At 7th level a Dragonkin can lend some of his strength to his companion for a short period of time, and vice versa. By taking a standard action the Dragonkin or his companion can take a penalty of up to his Dragonkin level to a statistic to give their partner an equal bonus to the same statistic. This bonus/penalty lasts as long as the Dragonkin or his companion continue taking standard actions to maintain them. When the focusing stops, the penalties and bonuses are removed on their next turns. Only one such penalty/bonus can be given at one time.

Possible statistics this ability can apply to are:
-A Skill check
-AC
-Any attribute
-HD (These hit points count as temporary hit points for the purposes of determing hit point totals and damage. If the penalty reduces hit points, treat it as untyped damage.)
-Initiative
-Damage
-Attack Roll

Symbiotic Allies: At 9th level, the Dragonkin becomes better able to assist their companion. He gains one of the following abilities based on the Dragon Runt’s Deformity.

Blinded (Ex): The Dragonkin gains Blindsense out to 60 feet. If he already has Blindsence from another source, then increase the radius by 60 feet.

Grounded (Su): The Dragonkin also gains the ability to fly as the spell Overland Flight within a 50 ft. radius of their Dragon Runt. He can fly for up to ten minutes each day.

Crippled (Ex): The Dragonkin gains a 20 ft. bonus to his land speed. In addition, he also gains a +10 bonus to all Climb and Jump checks.

Fusion (Su): Once per day, a Dragonkin can combine with his dragon companion to gain incredible power. In order to use this ability, he and his companion must be within 5 feet of each other. He gains the bonuses to Str/Dex and Natural Armor his companion would normally get as an Animal Companion. He also adds half of the Dragonkin’s skill ranks to his skill checks and can use any feats the Dragon Runt has taken. He gains acess to the Dragon Runt’s breath, claw, and bite attacks as well. If he uses no other weapons, treat the bite as the primary natural attack and the claws as secondary attacks. These weapons deal appropriate damage based on the size of the Dragonkin. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Dragonkin’s Wis modifier + 5. During this time, the Dragonkin and his companion combine into one creature. When this period of time ends, the Dragonkin remains in his square while his companion reappears within five feet of him.

Depending on the Runt’s Deformity, he also gains an additional ability during the Fusion.

Blinded: The Dragonkin hybrid has an unparalleled sense of awareness. His blindsense radius extends an additional 60 ft., he gains Improved Uncanny Dodge, and gains a +20 bonus on all Spot and Listen checks. With a little effort, he can even sense what his enemies are about to do. As a swift action, the Dragonkin can detect what each opponent within his Blindsense radius will do on their next turn. If an opponent is planning on a course of action (for example, “Shoot anyone who attempts to run”) he senses that instead.

Grounded: The resulting creature is a titan of skies. He gains an 80 ft. fly speed with perfect maneuverability and the feat Flyby Attack if he does not have it already.

Crippled: This fusion creates a lightning-fast creature. He gains a +30 bonus to his land speed and gains a swim speed equal to half his new land speed. Additionally, he can move over water and walk on walls provided the end of his movement puts him on solid ground.

PLAYING A DRAGONKIN

You’ve taken to a dragon, and that is no small matter. Despite its...relative size, it is still as headstrong, and fearless as its larger-sized relatives. But you still think he is different. He doesn’t seem that volatile to you, and you’ve only found a miniature hoard of baubles in your bedroll twice. No matter what others say, you’re not giving up on him, and that contented rumble he gives when you rub behind his ears tells you he won’t be leaving your side either.

Combat: As you and your Dragon Runt are companions in life, so too are you in battle. Your companion lacks heavy hitting power and you gain little martial prowess from simply raising him, but together, you make a formidable team. Most opponents will underestimate the little dragon, seeing him only as an exotic pet of sorts. Most opponents also only make this mistake once. You rely on setting up flanking, watching your partner’s back while his breath recharges, and other such tactics.
Advancement: If you have the potential for magic, you will likely focus on group enhancements. If you are more martially focused, flanking and group tactics will benefit you well.
Resources: Kobolds treat Dragonkin with a great deal of respect and admiration. They know that the Runt probably would not survive on its own, and see the Dragonkin as sacred caretakers. Provided the Dragonkin isn’t a Gnome, Kobolds will provide support and assistance to Dragonkin. Druids also tend to appreciate the effort Dragonkin take in caring for their companion.

DRAGONKIN IN THE WORLD
Now, we’ve been through a lot together, you and I. We’ve fought against unbelievable odds, discovered lost civilizations, uncovered dastardly plots, and most of that was before lunchtime. So I think I’m on good authority when I say you’re completely off your rocker keeping that thing around.
-Reil Kilduum, friend of a Dragonkin

Dragonkin are viewed with a healthy amount of suspicion and distrust. After all, who better to suspect than the curious-looking fellow with the small black dragon? Even when people know the Dragonkin well they still do not trust his companion. Dragons are still dragons, no matter the size.
Daily Life: Your new companion is more than an animal. He is a friend for life. Some of your day is inevitably spent making sure he gets enough food and water, and some time spent just being with him. Even dragons like a little company.
Notables: One of the first recorded Dragonkin happened more or less by accident. A young halfling, Osborn Flowtalker (named for his ceaseless, flowing chatter) was out wandering alone, talking to himself as usual. He was halfway home when he noticed a blind White Dragon Runt following him. Either through astute perception, or just sheer foolishness, he figured the beast would have eaten him already if it wanted to, so he just started talking to it. It just sat there, listening to him. When he went back home, it came with him. Osborne cared for his new friend carefully; someone who would listen to him for this long was certainly worth keeping. Over time the two became inseparable. Everywhere he went, his new companion was not far behind, following the sound of his voice. Some even say it even learned to "see" by listening for the echoes of his voice.
Organizations: There is no formal organization or allegiance for Dragonkin. Most Dragonkin sympathize with each other, and will offer help and advice.

NPC Reaction
Dragonkin are usually assumed to be soft-hearted pacifists, taking on their companion because they couldn’t bear to see them suffer. If their companion is a chromatic dragon, assumptions are usually not so gracious. Those who take the time and patience to get to know the pair better tend to respect the Dragonkin for what they are trying to do, though not enough to offer significant help. No matter their reasons, Dragonkin are at best wildly eccentric, and at worst, trouble.

DRAGONKIN IN THE GAME
The Dragonkin class is meant to give a unique expansion on the Animal Companion mechanic. For Druids, they give up 9th-level spells and some Wildshaping capabilities for this class, if they take the full PrC. Rangers likely benefit the most from this PrC, as their high-level abilities are much weaker than the Druid's.
Adaptation: The only major addition is the Dragon Runt, listed below. In a campaign with dragons, this is easy to do. Remember that most don’t live past a few years, so encounters should be rare.
Encounters: The PC's may encounter a Dragonkin's companion before they encounter him. It is likely that they will be investigating some trouble with the local wildlife that the Dragonkin's companion is blamed for.

EX-DRAGONKIN
If you abandon your companion for another Animal Companion or he dies, you may not take any more Dragonkin levels and you lose your class abilities. If you take him on as your Animal Companion again or bring him back to life, you regain your class abilities and may take more Dragonkin levels.

[TheAmishPirate]

Spoiler

Show

Dragon Runt
Tiny Dragon
HD: 3d12 (22 hp)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), 10 ft. if crippled (see below); fly 50 ft (good)
Init: +5
AC: 16; touch 13; flat-footed 15 (+3 Natural Armor, +2 size, +1 Dex)
BAB: +3; Grp -6
Attack: Bite + 4 melee (1d4 - 1)
Full-Attack: 2 claws* + 4 melee (1d3 - 1) and Bite - 1 (1d4 - 1)
Space: 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath Weapon
Special Qualities: Deformity, Blindsense 60 ft*, Darkvision 60 ft*, Low-Light Vision*, Immunity to sleep and paralysis
Saves: Fort +4 Ref +6 Will +4
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Escape Artist +3, Diplomacy +3, Intimidate +6, Listen +6, Search +6, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6
Feats: Improved Initiative
Environment: As a True Dragon of the same color
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement by class
Level Adjustment +2
*different for Blinded Dragon Runts, see the Deformity quality

Dragon Runts are the rare, unfortunate offspring of True Dragons. Through some accident during their incubation, they are born smaller and weaker than normal Wyrmlings. They still retain some measure of intelligence and thought, but like their physical abilities, it remains at their birth level and never increases.

It is rare that one survives past a few years. Most Dragon Runts starve unless they are lucky enough to be in an area of abundant prey. If they were to live long enough, they should share the same lifespan as normal dragons.

Dragon Runts can speak Draconic.

Combat

Deformity: Dragon Runts, in addition to being less physically impressive than their kin, suffer from physical defects as well. Each Dragon Runt has one of the following three traits:

Crippled: A crippled Dragon Runt is missing one of its limbs. Its speed drops to 10 ft, and it can only make one claw attack in a full attack.

Grounded: A grounded Dragon Runt’s wings are underdeveloped, misshapen, or missing outright. It loses its fly speed.

Blinded: A blinded Dragon Runt cannot see normally, even its magical sight is impaired. It loses its Low-Light Vision, Darkvision, and normal sight. Its Blindsense radius is decreased to 5 ft.

Spells that normally restore lost limbs such as Regenerate cannot remove these traits. In general, any effect or spell that attempts to grow the Dragon Runt’s missing limb, fix its wings, or restore its sight fail automatically if the damage is through these traits.

Breath Weapon (Su): A Dragon Runt maintains the ability to use its breath weapon, albeit at much lower power. It can, as a standard action, use a breath weapon of the same element and shape of a True Dragon of the same color with a Reflex Save DC of 12 (10 + ½ HD + Con modifier). This deals 1d4 damage of the appropriate element.

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