Bloody-Scar Disciple

DESTRIPTION

Hit Die: d8

Requirements

To quality as a bloody-scar disciple, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

· Base Attack Bonus: +3

· Feats: Combat Reflexes, Weapon Finesse

· Skills: Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) 7, Knowledge (Necrology) 7,

· Spellcasting: Must know and be able to cast at least first level spells, arcane or divine, one of which must be from the school of necromancy.

Class Skills

The Bloody-Scar Disciple’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Hide(Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot(Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at each level: 2 + Int Modifier

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1^st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Bloody Scars, Claws of Inlay, +1 Caster Level
2^nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Blood of the Primal Art, +1 Caster Level
3^rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Rebellious Spirit, +1 Caster Level
4^th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Trail of Blood +20, Blood Bath, +1 Caster Level
5^th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Spectral Binding Scars, +1 Caster Level
6^th	+6	+5	+2	+5	Trail of Blood +40, Spectral Shiv, +1 Caster Level
7^th	+7	+5	+2	+5	Spectral Warfare, +1 Caster Level
8^th	+8	+6	+2	+6	Trail of Blood +60, Reaver Wannabe, +1 Caster Level
9^th	+9	+6	+3	+6	Mind of Inlay, +1 Caster Level
10^th	+10	+7	+3	+7	Trail of Blood +80, Carnage Heart, +1 Caster Level

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the bloody-scar disciple prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Bloody-scar disciples are proficient with the all simple and martial weapons. Disciples gain no proficiency with armour.

Bloody Scars (Su): Flesh-deep wounds are carved into the chest and arms of a bloody-scar disciple by his instructors or fellow disciples. These scars do no real permanent harm but also never show signs of healing as they are inflicted using negatively-charged tools. The wounds take the form of exotic osipha symbology and well up with enough of the individual’s personal essence to be viewed by any form of sight or detection capable of perceiving the spiritual. So long as the scars are not covered, thus precluding the use of armour and bracers, the individual is granted a +7 armour bonus increasing by one for each level of bloody-scar disciple. Each point of armour granted must be maintained by diverting one point of essence from the characters own essence pool, thus if his essence drops to far he must divert essence from the scars or face death upon reaching zero essence. The armour takes form as a force effect around the body which provides protection against touch attacks as well as those from ethereal attackers. The armouring effect is supernatural in nature but is not subject to dispelling or other magic annulling effects so long as the bloody-scar disciple has enough essence to maintain it.

Claw of Inlay (Su): When a creature is slain negative energy (or positive should the creature be negatively aligned) from the environment rises up and is drawn into their bodies to annihilate their spiritual essence. If the bloody-scar disciple slays a creature while in melee range of them he may divert some of this energy into another target also within melee range as a touch attack so long as he has a hand free to do so (he may drop what he is holding from either hand to permit this so long as he is not using a two-handed tool or weapon). This free touch attack is made at the same attack bonus as the killing strike (minus instantaneous bonuses that have already been used) and deals 1d6+Charisma Modifier essence damage +2 per Level/Hit Die of the target slain, Fortitude save for half (As this is a supernatural power the save is based on the attacker’s Charisma score). The essence damage done is opposite of the essence of the slain target; negative damage for positive target and positive damage for a negative target. Note that this effect will not work if the subject has anything other than a negative or positively aligned spirit or the spirit itself survives the death of the body. This last event may happen in the case of possession, the instantaneous birth of a ghost or protective measures.

Blood of the Primal Art (Su): Blood was the first discovered tie to the mystic Arts and so is revered as a fount of the Primal Art, the first magic. At 2^nd level a bloody-scar disciple learns well the ancient lessons and how to make his blood an extension of his craft. The disciple may draw a small amount of his blood which will remain sympathetically tied to him for one minute plus an additional number of minutes equal to his positive Constitution Modifier. He may freely draw blood this way a number of times equal to his positive Constitution Modifier each day, paying one point of temporary constitution damage for any additional blood lettings.

The drawn blood is most often drizzled over a weapon, typically the disciples own, or into a small reservoir like a cup or bowl. The blood remains active as stated above while exposed to air, but loses its connection to the disciple one round after it is consumed by or left touching the body of any other creature be it alive or otherwise. During the active duration the disciple may channel one targeted spell of the necromancy school each round as a swift action which provokes no attacks of opportunity as if the spell were under the effects the Still Spell and Silent Spell metamagic feats (material components and XP costs are still used, if any). The spell is employed just as if the spell had been cast by the disciple himself and expends the spell from his daily allotment. These properties are normally employed to let the disciple deliver a necromancy spell to any target struck by the blooded weapon, or as a way to administer an atypical poison if timed correctly. Saving throws are rolled as normal unless it is Reflex, in which case substitute Fort if possible.

Rebellious Spirit (Su): Having been exposed to and working with negatively charged effects the disciple’s spirit develops a reflexive denial of life force attacks. At 3^rd level the disciple may make a second saving throw against spells or supernatural essence attacks. If no saving throw is permitted the disciple gains one anyway as a Fort save against DC 10 + attackers Charisma Modifier for half damage.

Blood Bath (Su): Your blood is the key to power, the blood of your foes a door. At 4^th level a disciple gains the ability to unleash ferociously brutal attacks upon his targets in a blood-induced euphoria. At any time that a disciple and his foe have drawn each other’s blood the disciple may add his positive charisma modifier plus his Bloody-Scar Disciple levels to attack rolls and damage when using melee weapons.

Trail of Blood (Ex): He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day, provided of course he can outrun death in the first place. At 4^th level a disciple can achieve amazing bursts of speed as he is driven by his now murderous spirit. This enhanced speed may be used to either peruse a fleeing target or simply close the distance to one. If closing the distance to a target or intending to overtake one that is fleeing a disciple may give chase at his enhanced speed for one round per Bloody-Scar Disciple level he has. If in pursuit of a target whose blood he has already drawn he may continue pursuit until he is no longer able to run or his intended target successfully eludes him. The speed enhancement is +20 feet at 4^th level, +40 feet at 6^th level, +60 feet at 8^th level and +80 feet at 10^th level.

Spectral Binding Scars (Su): The weeping scars of the Bloody-Scar Disciple attain strength greater than ever before. At 5^th level the disciple’s spirit and soul become strongly bound to his body and prevents attempts of spiritual removal or possession. In addition the armour effect takes on the properties of heavy fortified armour (100% immunity to sneak attacks and critical hits).

Spectral Shiv (Su): The disciple can strike a place no physical object was ever meant too. At 6^th level a disciple can employ a bloodied weapon as by Blood of the Primal Art to attack a creature’s essence directly. At any time a creature is denied its Dexterity bonus to its AC the disciple can make an attack that deals damage as normal for a flanking attack as well as 1d6 essence damage plus his positive Charisma Modifier. Unlike Blood of the Primal Art this ability can be used with a bloodied weapon including ranged if the attack is made within 30 feet.

Spectral Warfare (Su): Easy is the lesson learned about the threat of ghostly attacks, much harder is its applications to the physical world. At 7^th level a disciple may employ a weapon already bloodied as by Blood of the Primal Art to perform touch attacks with even mundane weapons. A disciple can cause a weapon he holds to exhibit this effect once per round a number of times each day equal to one plus his positive Charisma Modifier. This ability and that of Blood of the Primal Art cannot be performed on the same attack.

Reaver Wannabe (Su): You have developed methods to harvest the very spirits of your fallen opponents, even if you can’t do much with them. At 8^th level a disciple can rip the spirit and soul from any living/undead creature he strikes down (reduces to negative hit points) as a swift action. The target gains no saving throw but protection against removal of the spirit or soul or control of such are effective. Harvested spirits are forced to exist as whispers that follow the disciple as property. They are not compelled to perform any action or answer any questions unless directly forced too as normal by spell or effect. So long as the spirit is kept by the disciple the target cannot be brought back to life unless the disciple relinquishes his ownership over the particular individual’s spirit/soul. The disciple can hold a number of whispers equal to his Bloody-Scar Disciple level plus his positive Charisma Modifier. Note that this ability will work on any qualifying creature that is reduced to negative hit points by the disciple, including but not limited to those that have the Regeneration ability. The disciple must be within 30 feet of his target to employ this ability.

Mind of Inlay (Su): Events of death and taken lives have finally penetrated more than your thoughts. At 9^th level a disciple’s is so steeped in negative energies that his mind finally dislodges from mortal reality so fully that its “function” is now closer to that of the undead. From this point forward the disciple is immune to spells and effects that target the mind while gaining a +10 bonus to all diplomacy/intimidate skill checks with undead creatures. Your social skills and new peculiar habits (such as smiling way too broadly for no reason, bugging eyes and commenting on the “delightful bone structure” of others) induce a -4 check to diplomacy and +4 to intimidate skill checks.

Carnage Heart