[PrC]Fence-Sitter Cleric (PEACH)

[DracoDei]

Rough draft. Wording may be off, but for right now I am much more focused on the feel and balance than the nit-picking details. I guess if this had been done to death people would have told me by now. So... now strongly looking for comments on flavor and balance.
Master of Life and Undeath
A great dichotomy exists between the opposite elements of Positive and Negative Energy. Most Divine spellcasters can tap into both, but favor one side or another. Paralleling this dichotomy are the contrasts between Good and Evil and Life and Undead. In this too most divine spellcasters take a side. Even druids are not neutral in this regard, having no ability to create undead, and considering them unnatural and thus hating them... rare indeed is the individual who can truly bridge this gap and stand in balance between the two... such individuals are known as Masters of Life and Undeath.
Requirements:
Alignment: Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, or Chaotic Neutral
Skills:
Knowledge (Religion) 10 Ranks
Knowledge (The Planes) 10 Ranks
Feats: Extra Turning, ?Iron Will?, ?Great Fortitude?
Spellcasting: Ability to Spontaneously cast Cure Light Wounds AND/OR Inflict Light Wounds
Ability to cast Cure Moderate Wounds AND Inflict Moderate Wounds
Special: (Note the GM is encouraged to estimate or just "eyeball" these in cases where an exact count can not be easy found!)
Must have had the ability at first level taken of class that can spontaneously cast Cure Light Wounds or Inflict Light Wounds to choose whether to channel positive or negative energy.
Must have cured at least 500 points of damage to living creatures using healing spells.
Must have cured at least 500 points of damage to undead creatures using negative energy spells (Inflict spells, Harm, etc).
Must have inflicted at least 250 points of damage to living creatures in combat using negative energy spells (Inflict spells, Harm, etc).
Must have inflicted at least 250 points of damage to undead creatures in combat using healing spells.
Must have created at least 50 hit-dice of undead (not all existing at the same time, of course!).
Must have returned at least 30 hit-dice/levels of dead/undead creatures to life. (Clone, Psionic Revivify, Raise Dead, Reality Revision, Reincarnation, Resurrection, True Resurrection, and Wish are all valid means of making progress towards this requirement.). Scrolls etc. ARE a valid means of having accomplished this.
Must have been an undead at at least one point (current life/undead status does not matter, and having been a mindless undead meets this requirement.).
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Turn/Rebuke Undead, Least Master of Positive and Negative Energy|-

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Lesser Master of Positive and Negative Energy|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|Dimming the Line(+1), Improved Turning/Rebuking|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Dimming the Line(+2), Improved Spontaneous Casting|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|Dimming the Line(+3), Greater Master of Positive and Negative Energy, Turn Resistance +1|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Mind of Undeath, Turn Resistance +2|-
7th|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|Dimming the Line(+4), Turn Resistance +3|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
8th|

+6

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|Dimming the Line(+5), Turn Resistance +4|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
9th|

+6

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|Blurring the Line, Turn Resistance +5|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
10th|

+7

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|Erasing the Line|+1 level of existing divine spellcasting class [/table]

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills:
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge [Any] (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier


Turn/Rebuke Undead(Su): Levels of master of life and undeath stack with all other applicable levels in determining effective level for Turning/Rebuking undead.
Least Master of positive and Negative Energy(Su): Caster level for casting Healing spells, Inflict X Wounds, Harm, and similar spells increases by 2.
Lesser Master of positive and Negative Energy(Su): The caps for Healing and inflicting spells (including Harm, etc), for bonus points from caster level are increased by the number of levels the master of life and undeath has in this class.
Improved Turning/Rebuking(Su): The master of life and undeath may freely use his Turning/Rebuking abilities to Turn/Destroy, Rebuke/Command, and/or Bolster undead. This means they may freely mixe Turning attempts with Rebuking attempts using their per-day abilities in either way.
Improved Spontaneous Casting(Su): The master of life and undeath may now spontaneously cast both Inflict and Cure spells.
Greater Master of Positive and Negative Energy(Su): The caps for Healing and inflicting spells (including Harm, etc), for bonus points from caster level are doubled. This replaces the Lesser Master of Positive and Negative Energy ability.
Mind of Undeath(Su): If they become an undead for any reason they never gain the "mindless" trait, and always retain there general personality (although as a ghoul they would still crave flesh etc.), their memories, their neutral alignment on the Good/Neutral/Evil axis, and any mental ability score or scores that would be better than that of the undead form. They are never under the control of their creator merely as a result of the creation process. This means that if an Animate Dead is cast on them they would retain their free-will and does not automatically place them under the control via the Create Spawn ability of many types of undead. They may still be rebuked, commanded, turned, or subjected to Control Undead, or Command Undead as usual. Class levels are retained or (temporarily) lost as per normal for that type of undead. This never prevents Mind of Undeath from functioning.
Dimming the Line(Su): At 3rd level the master of life and undeath gains a +1 bonus on saving throws against Healing and inflicting spells (including Harm, etc), spells that only affect undead (Halt Undead, Hide From Undead, Undeath to Death, Control Undead, Command Undead, etc), and death effects. At 4th level this increase to +2, at 5th level to +3, at 7th level to +4, and at 8th level to +5. If a given effect does not allow a saving throw the master of life and undeath instead gains Spell resistance of 11 + the saving throw bonus this ability provides + Master of Life and Undeath class level, or existing applicable spell resistance increases by 5.
Blurring the Line(Su): The benefits of a Raise Dead spell cast on a master of life and undeath are as per Resurrection and Ressurection cast on them has all the benefits of True Ressurection. Clone cast on them does not cause level or Constitution loss (the growth time for the clone is still the same).
Erasing the Line(Su): At 10th level a Master of Life and Death is treated as alive or undead for any given spell or effect, whichever would be more beneficial to them regardless of their actual state. This means that both cure and inflict spells heal them, they are immune to turning and rebuking. They gain all of the Undead traits. Hit dice size does NOT increase if they are living. They never lose levels for returning from death or undeath to life no matter the means by which this achieved. They may elect to retain their Constitution score and all the benefits and numerical penalties there-of when they enter a state of undeath, whether from their own actions or those of others.

Ex-Masters of Life and Undeath: A Master of Life and Death whose alignment changes to an unacceptable one, or who ceases to respect both life and undeath loses all Special abilities of this class except for "Turn Rebuke Undead", and can not gain new levels in this class. Both these effects may be ended with an Atonement spell as per usual.

[DracoDei]

((Post Reserved for example character.))

[EvilElitest]

Wow, that is a pretty cool idea, kinda of a "natrual"necro caster

Mind of Undeath(Su): If they become an undead for any reason they never gain the "mindless" trait, and always retain there general personality (although as a ghoul they would still crave flesh etc.), their memories, their neutral alignment on the Good/Neutral/Evil axis, and any mental ability score or scores that would be better than that of the undead form. They are never under the control of their creator merely as a result of the creation process. This means that if an Animate Dead is cast on them they would retain their free-will and does not automatically place them under the control via the Create Spawn ability of many types of undead. They may still be rebuked, commanded, turned, or subjected to Control Undead, or Command Undead as usual. Class levels are retained or (temporarily) lost as per normal for that type of undead. This never prevents Mind of Undeath from functioning.

I think a little more detail is needed here, though it is a cool idea

So a ghoul/ghast remain the same in mind just have craving for flesh, do they keep class levels. Can this guy cast this on other undead he creates? If this occurs upon himself, does he die if the losses his class abilties?
What about Zombies and Skeltons? Do they retain their class levels, Or wights, wraiths, and shadows ect. Really cool idea, i just want to see more detail

Oh and his final abilty is very cool, all in all it is pretty good
from,
EE

[DracoDei]

Wow, that is a pretty cool idea, kinda of a "natural" necro caster

How do you mean "natural"?

So a ghoul/ghast remain the same in mind just have craving for flesh, do they keep class levels.

If that type of undead would normally keep class levels then they keep class levels. If that type of undead would normally lose class levels then they (temporarily) lose class levels (but retain the ability never-the-less). As I stated in the description.

Can this guy cast this on other undead he creates?

Well, since it is a class ability and not a spell, no. And since it applies only to the Master of Life and Undeath, and undead the Master of Life and Undeath creates are not even mentioned anywhere in the class (other than the entrance requirements, then certainly not.

If this occurs upon himself, does he die if the losses his class abilities?

Well if SOMEHOW (s)he lost the ability Mind of Undeath (which other than voluntary level loss, or alignment violations would be pretty hard since being undead give immunity to Energy Drain) while undead, then (s)he would be treated as an ordinary undead of the type in regards to alignment changes, mental stats, and control by creator.

What about Zombies and Skeletons? Do they retain their class levels, Or wights, wraiths, and shadows ect.

Since none of those normally retain class abilities, they don't retain class abilities for a Master of Life and Undeath (again, with the exception of Mind of Undeath itself). In all cases, however, alignment on the Good/Evil axis would not be changed, and memories and general personality would be retained...

Really cool idea, i just want to see more detail.

Quite frankly I am baffled by your questions... how could I have stated it more clearly?
Or did you just mean in general?
As for more fluff or an example character, those are forthcoming.

Oh and his final abilty is very cool, all in all it is pretty good.

Capstone abilities are supposed to be pretty good/memorable...

[DracoDei]

Have updated, trying to make things clearer, giving more turn resistance (because losing control of character to run away or cower for 10 rounds is just BORING), and spread out the saving throw bonuses of Dimming the Line over several levels (while increasing the upper limit a touch).

[JackMage666]

The pre-reqs are a little harsh, and require some seriosu bookwork. Other than that, looks awesome.

[Maldraugedhen]

I think you should balance out the prereqs for the uses for CLW / ILW and its equivalents. The way it stands, CLW has to see a lot more use than ILW to get into this prestige class. I suggest changing it to:
- heal 500 pts HP of living creatures with CLW
- damage 250 pts HP of undead creatures with CLW
- damage 500 pts HP of living creatures with ILW
- heal 250 pts HP of undead creatures with ILW

That way, each needs to do about 750 points of work, rather than 1000 and 500.

[DracoDei]

I believe you mis-read. Each must do 750 points of work as it stands.