The Villain

Hit Die: d8.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Villain, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Any evil.

Class Skills

The Villain’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (plans) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Speak Language, Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

 

Table: The Villain
						— Spells per Day —
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	Spell Points
1st	+0	+2	+2	+2	Aura of evil, detect good, poison use, rant, smite good 1/day	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+3	Dark blessing, lay on hand, death touch, stamina, damage reduction 1/ good aligned, magic, or silver	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	2
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Sneak attack +1d6, aura of despair	2	0	—	—	—	—	—	2
4th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Command undead, resolve, damage reduction 2/ good aligned, magic, or silver	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	4
5th	+3	+4	+4	+4	Fiendish servant, smite good 2/day, dark soul	2	2	0	—	—	—	—	6
6th	+4	+5	+5	+5	Sneak attack +2d6, evasion, 3/ good aligned or magic	2	2	1	—	—	—	—	11
7th	+5	+5	+5	+5	Black blood, uncanny dodge	2	2	1	—	—	—	—	11
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Dire Retreat, 4/ good aligned or magic	2	2	2	0	—	—	—	16
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Sneak attack +3d6, dark tongue	2	2	2	1	—	—	—	24
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Smite good 3/day, 5/ good aligned	2	2	2	1	—	—	—	24
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Spell touch attack, improved stamina	2	2	2	2	0	—	—	32
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Sneak attack +4d6, 6/good aligned	2	2	2	2	1	—	—	45
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Improved dire retreat	2	2	2	2	1	—	—	45
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9	Improved resolve, 7/good aligned and magic	3	2	2	2	2	0	—	59
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+9	Sneak attack +5d6, Smite good 4/day	3	3	2	2	2	1	—	79
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Greater dire retreat, 8/good aligned and magic	3	3	3	2	2	1	—	84
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Improved evasion	3	3	3	3	2	2	0	110
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11	Sneak attack +6d6, 9/good aligned, magic, and silver	3	3	3	3	3	2	1	148
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Evil Never Dies	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	191
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Smite good 5/day, 10/good aligned, magic, and silver	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	216

 

Class Features

All of the following are Class Features of the Villain prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Villains are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields including tower shields.

Spells: A Villain has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a Villain spell, a Villain must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so a Villain with a Wisdom of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells.

Villain bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the Villain’s Wisdom modifier. When the Villain gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level. The Villain’s spell list appears below. A Villain has access to any spell on the list and can freely choose which to prepare, just as a cleric. A Villain prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though a Villain cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells).

Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a Villain’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to his class level plus his cleric level, if any.

Detect Good (Sp): At will, a Villain can use detect good as a spell-like ability, duplicating the effect of the detect good spell.

Poison Use: Villains are skilled in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Rant (ex): Villains must make a will save DC 10+ 2/3 Character Level + his Cha modifier or begin delivering a monologue detailing his plans anytime his enemy or enemies appears unable to obtain victory.  If he has no plans at his time he just boast about his superiority.  All enemies must appear to be unable to obtain victory.  He must talk for a minimum of number of rounds equal to his class level x his charisma plus the number of his enemies.  He may torture, or taunt, or even more likely reveal his grand scheme during this time.  He can not kill his captives during this time.

Smite Good (Su): Once a day, a Villain of 1st level or higher may attempt to smite good with one normal melee attack.

He adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per class level. If a Villain accidentally smites a creature that is not good, the smite has no effect but it is still used up for that day.

At 5th level, and again at 10th level, a Villain may smite good one additional time per day.

Lay on Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Villain with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her Villain level x her Charisma bonus. A Villain may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action.

Alternatively, a Villain can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The Villain decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.

Death Touch (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Villain with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can inflict wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can inflict a total number of hit points of damage equal to her Villain level x her Charisma bonus. A Villain may choose to divide her inflicting among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using deadly touch is a standard action.

Alternatively, a Villain can use any or all of this inflicting power to heal damage to undead creatures. Using deadly touch in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The Villain decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.

Stamina (Ex): The Villain has a body infused with the strength of darkness.  If he makes a successful Fortitude save which would normally have a lesser affect (such fortitude for partial, or half) he instead negates all affects which would have had a reduced affect, if there is an effect which occurs regardless of a successful save that affect still functions.

Damage Reduction (Su): When a Villain reaches the 3rd level, his dark masters have granted him their supernatural protections, in the form damage reduction.

Dark Blessing (Su): A Villain applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.

Sneak Attack: This ability is like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 every third level beyond 3rd (6th and 9th). If a Villain gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.

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

Command Undead (Su): When a Villain reaches 3rd level, he gains the supernatural ability to command and rebuke undead. He commands undead as would a cleric of two levels lower.

Resolve (Ex): The Villain’s dark mind is resist all manner of attack.  If he makes a successful Willpower save which would normally have a lesser affect (such willpower for partial, or half) he instead negates all affects which would have had a reduced affect, if there is an effect which occurs regardless of a successful save that affect still functions.

Dark Soul (Su): A Villain’s evil protects him from betrayal, he gains spell resistance equal to 5 + charisma bonus+ class level to all spells and spell like abilities cast by evil casters.

Evasion (Ex): At 6th level and higher, a villain can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the villain is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless villain does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Dire Retreat (su): Villains know at time the only victory is survival.  Once a day a villain can use an affect very similar to Dimension Door.  Villain must be severely wounded (must me missing at least ½ his vp or have suffered actual wound damage).  Using this ability causes the villain and anyone he takes with him 8d6 points of damage.  The villain may only travel 100ft times his charisma score.  This is a free action.

Black Blood (su): At level 8 a Villain’s dark powers have granted immunity to poison.

Uncanny dodge (ex): At level 8 a Villain but a real pain in the neck he gains uncanny dodge like the rogue and barbarian ability.

Dark Tongue (ex): At level 9 a Villain’s dealings with the darkside has taught to him to converse with them.  He learns Infernal, Tartarian, and Abyssal, this cost him no skill points.  He is immune to the affects of dark speech.  You gain a +2 on bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate checks made with evil creatures.

Improved Stamina: This ability works like stamina, except that while the Samurai still suffers no effects on a successful save, henceforth only suffers the lesser affect on a fortitude failed save, if there is no lesser affect he suffers the full effect.

Improved Dire Retreat (su): this ability is functions like dire retreat except it duplicates the affect of teleport and it may be used 3/day.  Using this ability causes the villain and anyone he takes with him 4d6 points of damage.  The villain may only travel 10,000 ft times his charisma score.  This is a free action.

Improved Resolve: This ability works like resolve, except that while the Villain still suffers no effects on a successful save, henceforth only suffers the lesser affect on a failed willpower save, if there is no lesser affect he suffers the full effect.

Greater Dire Retreat (su): this ability functions like dire retreat except it duplicates the affect of greater teleport and it may be used once per four class levels.  Using this ability causes the villain and anyone he takes with him 2d6 points of damage.  This replaces the ability improved dire retreat. The villain may only travel 1,000 miles times his charisma score.  This is a free action.

Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability works like evasion, except that while the villain still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless villain does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Evil Never Dies (Ex): The villain is immune to death affects.  If a villain dies, and he is not resurrected first, he rises at midnight as a nightshade (usually a Nightwalker) of the same HD.

 

Villain Spell List

Villains choose their spells from the following list:

0 Level: create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, inflict minor wounds, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance

1st Level: cause fear, charm person, corrupt weapon, cure light wounds, curse water, death watch, doom, inflict light wounds, magic weapon, protection from good, summon monster I*.

2nd Level: bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds, darkness, death knell, desecrate, eagle’s splendor, enthrall, inflict moderate wounds, owl’s wisdom, shatter, silence, summon monster II*, zone of truth.

3rd Level: animate dead, contagion, , cure serious wounds, deeper darkness, inflict serious wounds, magic circle against good,  protection from elements, remove curse, remove disease, summon monster III*.

4th Level: cure critical wounds, dimension door, death ward, dominate person, freedom of movement, inflict critical wounds, lesser planar ally, poison, summon monster IV*, unholy blight.

5th Level: cure light wounds mass, dispel good, flame strike, inflict light wounds mass, slay living, summon monster V*.

6th Level: blasphemy, create undead, dominate monster, heal, harm, summon monster VI*.

* Evil creatures only.

 

Corrupt Weapon

Villains have access to a special spell, corrupt weapon, which is the opposing counterpart of the paladin spell bless weapon. Instead of improving a weapon’s effectiveness against evil foes corrupt weapon makes a weapon more effective against good foes.

 

The Villain’s Fiendish Servant

Upon or after reaching 5th level, a Villain can call a fiendish bat, cat, dire rat, horse, pony, raven, or toad to serve him. The Villain’s servant further gains HD and special abilities based on the Villain’s character level (see the table below).

A Villain may have only one fiendish servant at a time.

Should the Villain’s servant die, he may call for another one after a year and a day. The new fiendish servant has all the accumulated abilities due a servant of the Villain’s current level.

 

Class Level	Bonus HD	Natural Armor Adj.	Str Adj.	Int	Special
5th or lower	+2	+1	+1	6	Empathic link, improved evasion, share saving throws, share spells, smite good 1/day
6th–9th	+4	+3	+2	7	Speak with Villain
10th–13th	+6	+5	+3	8	Blood bond, Improved natural weapon
14th–17th	+8	+7	+4	9	Spell resistance
18th–21th	+10	+9	+5	10	Psychic link, smite good 2/day

Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the servant’s base attack and base save bonuses, as normal.

Natural Armor Adj.: This is an improvement to the servant’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str Adj.: Add this figure to the servant’s Strength score.

Int: The servant’s Intelligence score. (A fiendish servant is smarter than normal animals of its kind.)

 

The abilities mentioned in the “Special” column of the accompanying table are described below.

Empathic Link (Su): The Villain has an empathic link with his servant out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The Villain cannot see through the servant’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Because of the limited nature of the link, only general emotional content can be communicated.

Because of the empathic link between the servant and the Villain, the Villain has the same connection to a place or an item that the servant does.

Improved Evasion (Ex): If the servant is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage on a successful saving throw and only half damage on a failed saving throw. Improved evasion is an extraordinary ability.

Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the servant uses either its own base save bonus or the Villain’s, whichever is higher. The servant applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the Villain might have.

Share Spells: At the Villain’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his servant. The servant must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the servant if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the servant again even if the servant returns to the Villain before the duration expires. Additionally, the Villain may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his servant (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself. A Villain and his servant can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the servant’s type (magical beast).

Speak with Villain (Ex): If the Villain’s class level is 9th or higher, the Villain and servant can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.

Blood Bond (Ex): If the Villain’s class level is 10th or higher, the servant gains a +2 bonus on all attack rolls, checks, and saves if it witnesses the Villain being threatened or harmed.  Whenever either of them has to make a fort save, they both may make a fortitude save, if either succeeds they are both unaffected if only they both fail only the targeted creature suffers the affects.  If the Villain ever dies so does the fiendish servant.

This bonus lasts as long as the threat is immediate and apparent.

Improved Evasion (Ex): If the servant is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage on a successful saving throw and only half damage on a failed saving throw. Improved evasion is an extraordinary ability.

Spell Resistance (Ex): If the Villain’s class level is 14th or higher, the servant gains spell resistance equal to the Villain’s level + 5. To affect the servant with a spell, another spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the servant’s spell resistance.

Psychic Link (Su): The Villain has now has a psychic link with his servant out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The Villain can see through the servant’s eyes, but they can communicate telepathically.  The empathic link now extends out two miles.