46 Catlord First Totem:  The catlord gains Skill Focus (Move Silently) as a bonus feat. Second Totem: Once per hour, the catlord can use the sprint extraordinary ability to move at ten times her normal speed as a charge action. Third Totem: The catlord gains a +2 inherent bonus to Dexterity. Equinelord First Totem:  The equinelord gains a bonus to her speed of +10 feet. Second Totem:  The equinelord gains a +2 inherent bonus to Constitution. Third Totem:  The  equinelord  gains Trample  as  a bonus feat. Marinelord First Totem: The marinelord gains the extraordinary ability to breathe water in her normal form. (She cannot, however, breathe air while in a form that can breathe only water.) Second Totem: The  marinelord  gains  Improved Swimming (see Chapter 2) as a bonus feat. Third Totem: The marinelord gains a +2 inherent bonus to Wisdom. Snakelord First Totem: The snakelord gains Resist Poison (see Chapter 2) as a bonus feat. Second Totem: The snakelord gains the extraordinary ability to produce poison once per day (Fortitude save DC 10 + class level;  initial and secondary damage 2d6 temporary Constitution). She can produce only one dose of poison per day. The snakelord is skilled in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning herself when applying poison to a blade. Third Totem:  The  snakelord  gains  a  +2  inherent bonus to Charisma. Wolflord First Totem: The wolflord gains Scent (see Chapter 2) as a bonus feat. Second Totem: The wolflord gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Wilderness Lore checks made for tracking. This bonus stacks with any modifier provided by Scent. Third Totem: The wolflord gains a +2 inherent bonus to Constitution. BANE OF INFIDELS The bane of infidels is the leader of a xenophobic tribe. He wants nothing to do with the outside world because the way his people do things is the way they have always done them, and the way they always will. Alone among his compatriots, the bane of infidels sees the possibilities of the outside world, but he considers progress danger- ous. Allowing his people to advance would surely endan- ger them and imperil his leadership. Since visitors bring danger of change, they must die—and what better way thanas sacrifices in the name of his tribe’s religion? The act of sacrifice empowers and rewards the bane of infidels and his tribe. Usually visitors and conquered foes serve as sacrifices, though in a pinch a criminal will do (or even an innocent, though this a risky move). Though he is often ruthless, the bane of infidels is nonetheless respected by the members of his tribe, to whom he provides healing, guardianship, and unwaver- ing direction in return for absolute loyalty. Druids are the most likely characters to embrace this lifestyle, though clerics, high-level rangers, and adepts can also adopt this prestige class. The tribe of a bane of infidels often in- cludes fighters, rangers, barbarians, bards, and sorcerers, but other classes may not be as welcome. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To become a bane of infidels, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Alignment: Any nongood. Skills:  Intimidate 4 ranks; Knowledge (religion) 6 ranks or Knowledge (nature) 6 ranks. Feats: Iron Will, Leadership. Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level divine spells. Class Skills The bane of infidels’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy  (Cha), Concentration (Con),  Craft  (any)  (Int),  Diplomacy  (Cha),  Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Di- rection (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (re- ligion) (Int), Profession (any) (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the bane of infidens prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bane of infidels gains no weapon or armor proficiencies. Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each bane of infi- dels level, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in  a  spellcasting  class  to  which  he  belonged  before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (additional wild shape options, metamagic or item cre- ation feats, or the like), if the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a bane of infidels, the player must decide to which class to add each level for determining spells per day and spells known. Energumen (Sp): Beginning at 1st level, the character may bestow a low-powered form of barbarian rage in any follower  (as  defined  in  Chapter  2  of  the DUNGEON MASTER S  Guide) who is an adherent of the same religion The follower gains a +2 bonus to both Strength and Con- stitution, as well as a +1 morale bonus on Will saves. In all other respects, this effect is like barbarian rage. Ener- gumen is usable once per day per bane of infidels level. Pyre (Sp): At 1st level, the bane of infidels may cause a 5-foot-square area to burst into flame. Anyone in that CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
47 area must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 10 + bane of infi- dels level + Wisdom bonus of bane of infidels) or suffer 1d4 points of damage per bane of infidels level. This abil- ity is usable once per day. Hearth Protection (Sp): At 2nd level, the bane of infidels may perform an 8-hour ritual to designate an area with a radius of up to 5 feet per bane of infidels level as a hearth. This area then functions as a permanent  zone of truth, though the bane of infidels is immune to that effect. The character may have only one hearth at a time. Sacrifice (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, the bane of in- fidels may sacrifice any humanoid by killing it with a coup de grace in his hearth. This ritual increases his ef- fective caster level for all spells by +2 for 1 hour. If the bane of infidels sacrifices a follower, he must make a Diplomacy check (DC 20). Failure indicates that all his remaining followers desert; success means he retains their loyalty. This effect does not stack with the bonuses gained from major sacrifice or mass sacrifice (see below). Sacrifice is usable once per day. Secrets of Stone (Sp): At 3rd level, the bane of infidels gains the ability to discern the affected spell and neces- sary sacrifice of any standing stone (see Chapter 3) within 100 feet of him as a free action. Detect Loyalty (Sp): At 4th level, the bane of infidels may examine a follower for faithfulness. If that individual has grossly violated the code of conduct that the bane of infi- dels has established or otherwise acted in a manner op- posed to the latter’s purposes and directions in the last 24 hours, the bane of infidels discovers it (no save, but spell re- sistance applies) and gains a +5 circumstance bonus on his Diplomacy check when sacrificing that follower. Using detect loyalty does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Major Sacrifice (Su): This ability, gained at 5th level, is like sacrifice, except that the bane of infidels can in- crease his effective caster level for all spells by +4 for 1 hour by sacrificing a sentient creature with 5 or more Hit Dice. This effect does not stack with that of sacrifice or mass sacrifice. Wicker  Man  (Sp): At 6th level, the bane of infidels learns to create a sacrificial totem trap. This ability pro- duces the same effect as the wall of thorns spell, except as follows. The thorny briars form a humanoid shape 10 feet square, with a height equal to 10 feet per bane of infidels level. Anyone in that area when the wicker man appears gets  a  Reflex  save  (DC  10  +  bane  of  infidels  level + Wisdom bonus of bane of infidels) to avoid being caught in its body at a point halfway up its height. The pyre and bonfire abilities of the bane of infidels count as magical fire for purposes of igniting the wicker man and do their normal damage to everyone trapped inside each round until the wicker man burns away (per the wall of thorns spell) or they escape. This ability is usable once per day. Bonfir   e (Sp): This ability, gained at 7th level, functions like pyre, except that it affects a 10-foot-square area. A ntipathy field (Sp): At 8th level, the bane of infidels may protect his hearth with an antipathy field once per day. This functions like an antipathy spell, except that the target is the entire area of the hearth and the duration is 24 hours. M ass E nergumen (Sp): This ability (gained at 9th level) functions likeenergumen (above), except that it affects up to ten followers at once. Mass Sacrifice (Su): At 10th level, the bane of infidels can increase his effective caster level by +2 (up to a max- imum of +10) for each humanoid sacrificed within 10 rounds. This ability is otherwise like sacrifice. Its effect does not stack with that of sacrifice or major sacrifice. T able 5–2: T he Bane of Infidels Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day/Spells Known 1st +0 +2 +  0 +2 Energumen, pyre +1 level of existing class 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Hearth protection,   sacrifice +1 level of existing class 3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Secrets of stone +1 level of existing class 4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Detect loyalty +1 level of existing class 5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Major sacrifice +1 level of existing class 6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Wicker man +1 level of existing class 7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Bonfire +1 level of existing class 8th +6 +6 +2 +6 Antipathy field +1 level of existing class 9th +6 +6 +3 +6 Mass energumen +1 level of existing class 10th +7 +7 +3 +7 Mass sacrifice +1 level of existing class CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
48 BLIGHTER When a druid turns away from the land, the land turns away from her. Some ex-druids make peace with this change; others seek to restore the bond. A few, however, actually embrace their disconnection from nature and become forces of destruction. These few, called blighters, leave their mark wherever they tread. A blighter gains her spellcasting ability by stripping the earth of life. A swath of deForested land always marks her path through the wilderness. The  vast  majority  of  blighters  are  no- madic loners constantly in search of green lands to destroy. Some are grim; others laugh at the de- struction they wreak. Almost all, however,  are  friendless  and mad. What puts them over  the edge is the knowledge that nature gets the last laugh: To gain their spells, they must seek out the richest Forests of the land, even if  it’s  only  to  destroy  them. Thus,  even  though  they’ve turned away from nature, they must constantly return to it. Only  human  ex-druids seem attracted in any num- ber  to  the  blighter’s  path. Legends say that a few elven druids  have  also  turned  to destruction over the millen- nia—a  terrifying  prospect given how much land they could destroy in their long lifetimes. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To  qualify as a blighter, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Alignment:  Any  non- good. Special: The character must be an ex-druid previously capable of casting 3rd-level druid spells. Class Skills The blighter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (any) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (herbalist) (Wis), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the blighter prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Blighters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Spells  per  Day:  At  each blighter level,  the character gains spells per day according to Table 5–3. She  does  not, however, gain any other bene- fit  that  a  druid  of  that  level would  have  gained.  She  must choose her spells from the blighter spell list, below. The blighter’s caster level is equal to her blighter level plus her druid level. The blighter gains ac- cess to her daily spells through  deforestation (see  below),  if  she goes more than 24 hours  without deforesting    a wooded     area, she  cannot  cast spells   until   she does so. The  default  divine focus for any spell cast by a blighter is a desic- cated  sprig of  holly or Table 5–3: The Blighter Class Base Fort Ref Will Spells per Day Level   Attack Bonus   Save   Save   Save Special 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Deforestation 2 1 0 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Burning hands, sustenance 2 2 1 0 3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Undead wild shape   1 /day 3 2 2 0 4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Speak with dead animal, 3 3 2 1 0 undead wild shape   2/day 5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Contagious touch 1/day, 4 3 3 2 0 undead wild shape   (Large) 6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Animate dead animal, 4 4 3 3 1 0 undead wild shape   3/day 7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Contagious touch 2/day, 5 4 4 3 2 0 undcad wild shape   (incorporeal) 8th +6 +6 +2 +6 Unbond. undead wild shape   4/day 5 5 4 4 2 1 0 9th +6 +6 +3 +6 Contagious touch 3/day, 6 5 5 4 3 2 1 undead wild shape   (Huge) 10th +7 +7 +3 +7 Plague,undead wild shape  5/day 6 6 5 5 3 2 2 CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
49 mistletoe. Any material component for a blighter’s spell must have been dead for at least a day before use. Defor estation (Sp): Beginning at 1st level, the blighter can kill all nonsentient plant life within a radius of 50 feet per blighter level as a full-round action once per day. If a potentially affected plant is under the control of another (such as a druid’s liveoak or a dryad’s home tree), the con- troller can make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + blighter level + blighter’s Wisdom bonus) to keep it alive. Affected plants immediately cease photosynthesis, root tapping, and all other methods of sustenance. Like picked flowers, they appear vibrant for several hours, but within a day, they turn brown and wither. Except for plants saved by a con- troller, nothing can grow in a deforested area until it has a hallow spell cast upon it and it is reseeded. Deforestation enables the blighter to cast her daily allot- ment of spells. This ability works in any terrain, but de- Foresting a sandy desert, ice floe, or other environment with only sparse vegetation does not empower the char- acter to cast spells. Burning Hands (Su): This ability, gained at 2nd level, functions like the  burning hands  spell, except that the blighter can use it as often as desired, turning it on or off as a move-equivalent action, and it does 1d4 points of fire damage per round. Sustenance (Ex): At 2nd level, the blighter no longer needs food or water to survive. Undead Wild Shape (Sp): At 3rd level, the blighter re- gains a version of the wild shape ability. Undead wild shape functions like wild shape, except that the forms available are those of undead creatures (specifically skeletons) for- merly of the animal type. A skeletal animal has the sta- tistics  of  a  skeleton of  the appropriate  animal’s  size category (see the skeleton entry in the Monster Manual). The blighter gains one extra use per day of this ability for every two additional blighter levels she acquires. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large skeletal  animal  at  5th  level,  an  incorporeal  skeletal animal (see Incorporeality in Chapter 3 of the DUNGEON MASTERGuide) at 7th level, and a Huge skeletal animal at 9th level. Speak with Dead Animal (Sp): At 4th level, the blighter can converse with dead animals. This ability functions like a speak with dead spell cast by a cleric of a level equal to the total of the character’s druid and blighter levels, except that it affects only corpses of animal creatures. It is usable once per day. Contagious Touch (Su): At 5th level, the blighter can produce an effect like that of a contagious touch spell once per day. She gains 1 extra use per day of this ability for every two additional blighter levels she acquires. Animate Dead Animal (Sp): This ability, gained at 6th level, functions like an animate dead spell, except that it affects only corpses of animal creatures and requires no material component. It is usable once per day. Unbond (Sp): At 8th level, the blighter can temporarily separate a bonded animal or magical beast (such as an animal companion, familiar, or mount) from its master once per day. The target creature must be within 40 feet ot both its master and the blighter. It the master fails a Will save (DC 10 + blighter level + blighter’s Wisdom modifier), the bond terminates as if the servitor had died, though this does not cause experience loss in the case of a familiar. Normally hostile creatures attack their mas- ters but are otherwise unaffected. The bond returns after 5 rounds per blighter level, restoring all benefits. Alter- natively, the master can regain the servitor through the normal methods of acquisition. Plague (Su): At 10th level, the blighter can spread dis- ease over a large area. This ability functions like the con- tagious touch ability, except that no attack roll is required and it affects all targets the blighter designates within a 20-foot radius. Plague is usable once per day and costs one daily use of the contagious touch ability. Blighter Spell List Blighters choose their spells from the following list. 0 leveldarkseed*, detect magic, detect poison, flare, ghost sound, inflict minor wounds, read magic. 1st levelbane, burning hands, curse water, decomposi- tion*,  detect  undead,  doom,  endure  elements,  inflict  light wounds, invisibilily to animals, ray of enfeeblement. 2nd levelchill metal, chill touch, darkness, death knell, fire trap, flaming sphere, heat metal, inflict moderate wounds, miasma*, produce flame, resist elements, warp wood. 3rd levelcontagion, deeper darkness, desecrate, diminish plants, dispel magic, inflict serious wounds, poison, protection from elements, stinking cloud, vampmc touch. 4th levelantiplant shell, animate dead, blight*, death ward, flame strike, inflict critical wounds, kiss of death*, lan- guor*, repel vermin, rusting grasp, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, unhallow, wall of fire. 5th levelacid fog, untilife shell, circle of death, contagious touch*, create undead, firestorm, forbiddance, greater dispelling, protection from all elements*, repel wood. 6th levelantipathy,  control  undead,  earthquake, epi- demic*, finger of death, forcsight, horrid wilting, invulnerabil- ity to elements*. *New spell described in Chapter 6 of this book. BLOODHOUND A bandit king is raiding caravans on the road. An ogre is pillaging the farms to  the north. A sorcerer has kid- napped the mayor’s son and hidden him somewhere in the marsh. And the soldiers of the king cannot seem to stem the tide. The terrified citizens have only one choice, and it isn’t cheap. They call in a bloodhound. The bloodhound tracks down wrongdoers and brings them to whatever justice awaits them. Low-level blood- hounds depend on their keen senses and careful training to hunt their targets. As they gain experience, their ob- sessive determination gives them supernatural abilities that make them nearly unstoppable. Most bloodhounds work for money (usually a lot of it), but some accept jobs for justice, revenge, or enjoyment. When a bloodhound accepts a job, he designates his target as a mark. Thereafter, he does not abandon the case until it is finished, which occurs when the mark is appre- hended or when either the mark or the bloodhound dies. Though some bloodhounds leave calling cards or even brands on their marks, most don’t kill their targets if they can help it. They prefer instead to subdue their marks and bring them in. For those ot good alignment, this CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
50 practice satisfies some deeply held belief in the cause of justice. For neutral and evil bloodhounds, it ensures a steady stream of income from catching the same marks over and over when they break out of jail. Rangers and barbarians make the best bloodhounds, but rogues, bards, druids, and fighters can also excel in this role. Occasionally a paladin shoulders the mantle, but never for money. Most bloodhounds are human, though elves and half-elves sometimes find this lifestyle satisfying. Some of the best bloodhounds are humanoids such as gnolls, hobgoblins, and bugbears. Hit Die: d10. Requirements To become a bloodhound, a character must fulfill the fol- lowing criteria. Base Attack Bonus: +4. Skills:    Gather    Information    4    ranks,    Move Silently 4 ranks, Wilderness Lore 4 ranks. Feats: Run, Track. Class Skills The bloodhound’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplo- macy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Dex), Gather Infor- mation (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the bloodhound pres- tige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bloodhounds are proficient with light armor, shields, and both simple and martial weapons. Determination (Ex): At 1st level, the character gains an insight bonus equal to his bloodhound level on Gather Information, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks made to determine the whereabouts of a mark (see below). Mark (Ex): At 1st level, the character can target, or mark, an individual humanoid foe. To do so, the blood- hound must focus on a foe who is present and visible, or on the depiction or description of one who is not, for 10 minutes. Any interruption ruins the attempt and forces the bloodhound to start the process again. Once this study is complete, that target is called a mark, and the bloodhound receives a variety of advantages against him or her (see below). A bloodhound may have up to one mark per two bloodhound levels (rounded up) at once, but only if all of them are within 30 feet of one another for the duration of the marking process. For example, a 6th-level bloodhound could mark three bugbears in such a group, but not a bugbear on one side of the kingdom and a troll on the other. If a bloodhound chooses a new mark before apprehending an existing one, the latter is unmarked, and the bloodhound loses XP equal to the amount he would have gotten for defeating that creature. The bloodhound can mark an individual once a week. No Subdual Penalty (Ex): Also at 1st level, the blood- hound can use a melee weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage instead without suffering the usual –4 penalty on his attack roll. Dead or Alive (Ex): At 2nd level, the bloodhound learns to strike for subdual at just the right moment to Table 5–4: The Bloodhound Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Determination, mark, no subdual penalty 2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Dead or alive, fast tracking, ready and waiting 3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Pacekeeping, restlessness 4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Improved subdual, move like the wind 5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Shatter, traceless track 6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Ignore scrying,locate creature 7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Fracture, see invisibility 8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Subdual resistance 9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Ignore magical barriers 10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Find the path CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
51 avoid killing a mark. Immediately after striking a blow that would reduce a mark from positive to negative hit points, the bloodhound may convert the normal damage dealt by that blow to subdual damage before it takes effect. The bloodhound cannot use this ability while raging or after 1 round has passed. Fast Tracking:  At  2nd  level,  the  bloodhound  no longer suffers a –5 penalty on  Wilderness Lore checks for tracking while moving at normal speed. Ready and Waiting (Ex): Also at 2nd level, the blood- hound may, as a free action, designate a particular move- equivalent, standard, or full-round action that a mark who is flat-footed might perform, if the mark actually performs this action within 10 minutes thereafter, the bloodhound can make an attack of opportunity against him or her with a drawn weapon, either melee or ranged. This counts against the bloodhound’s attacks of opportu- nity for that round. Facekeeping (Ex): At 3rd level, a bloodhound track- ing a mark can raise his own speed by up to +5 feet per bloodhound level, to a maximum value equal to the mark’s speed. Restlessness (Ex): When the bloodhound reaches 3rd level, he gains damage reduction 5/– against subdual damage from a forced march while in pursuit of a mark. Improved Subdual (Ex): At 4th level, the blood- hound uses his Intelligence bonus on the damage roll for any attack that deals only subdual damage. Move Like the Wind (Su): At 4th level, the blood- hound  ignores  armor  check  penalties  on  his  Move Silently and Hide checks. In addition, he no longer suf- fers the –5 penalty on those checks when moving at speeds between half and full. Traceless Track (Su): At 5th level, the bloodhound can track a creature moving under the influence of pass without trace or a similar effect, though he suffers a –10 circumstance penalty on his Wilderness Lore checks. Shatter (Su): At 5th level, the bloodhound can destroy an object that stands between himself and his mark when the latter is within 100 feet. This ability functions like a shatter spell cast by a sorcerer of the character’s bloodhound level. Ignore Scrying (Ex): At 6th level, the bloodhound gains spell resistance equal to 10 + his bloodhound level against divination spells. This stacks with any other spell resistance he has that includes spells of that school. Locate Creature (Sp): Once per day, the bloodhound can produce an effect identical to that of a locate creature spell cast by a sorcerer of the bloodhound’s character level. Fracture (Su): At 7th level, the character can use his shatter ability to destroy weight-equivalent portions of larger objects, such as doors and walls, regardless of their construction. See Invisibility (Su): This ability, gained at 7th level, functions like a see invisibility  spell, except that it is con- stantly in effect and it reveals only marks. Subdual Resistance: At 8th level, the bloodhound gains damage reduction 20/+3 against subdual damage. Ignore Magical Barriers (Ex): At 9th level, the blood- hound gains spell resistance equal to 15 + his blood- hound  level  against  magical  barriers  (wall  of  force, entangle, prismatic wall, and so forth). F ind the Path (Sp): At 10th level, the bloodhound can produce an effect like a find the path spell cast by a druid of the bloodhound’s character level. It is usable three times per day. Organization: The Bloodhounds “Eyes... I saw his eyes before he pounced. That was all. He had no body until he was upon me. if he had meant to kill me, I would have been as helpless as a babe.” —Tordek, on meeting a Bloodhound The organization known as the Bloodhounds is dedi- cated to finding people and bringing them to justice (or whatever fate awaits them). Some Bloodhounds limit themselves to tracking down criminals; others are will- ing to hunt anyone for a client who can pay the price. The group’s leaders don’t concern themselves with such issues, only with maintaining the organization’s reputa- tion as the place to go to find someone. Membership in the Bloodhounds is by invitation only. Members report on capable trackers they encounter in their travels, and from these reports the organization’s leaders select candidates for membership. A member of the organization tracks each candidate surreptitiously for a while. If the Bloodhound reports that the candidate had the necessary fervor and talents, the leaders offer him or her a chance to try out for membership. A candi- date who actually noticed the Bloodhound following is almost guaranteed an offer. To be accepted for membership, the candidate must track  a  Bloodhound  considerably  more  experienced than himself. The Bloodhound makes the job difficult by leaving false trails, telling locals deceitful stories, and even hiring brigands to ambush the candidate along the way. The Bloodhound must not assist the candidate in this task; otherwise the test is void. A candidate who suc- ceeds in finding the target passes the test and may join the organization. Bloodhounds can take any assignments they choose. Some jobs come directly from clients who contact indi- vidual  Bloodhounds.  Others  come  through  the grapevine, since members pass word to each other. Indi- vidual bloodhounds are fiercely competitive, and should one succeed where another has failed, the winner gloats over the victory. In fact, Bloodhounds often tell each other about the assignments they’ve taken, in effect challenging  their  compatriots  to  beat  them  to  the quarry. Members may work together, but most work alone or with nonmembers so that word spreads of their personal fame. Thus, whenever several Bloodhounds form a posse to catch a particularly elusive foe, word spreads far and wide. Despite this rivalry, when a mark is too important to go free,  a  Bloodhound  can  spread  the  word  of  a  “free” bounty among the membership. This means that any member who brings in the mark can claim the prize. Members who spread free bounties lose no face in the organization for doing so. Bloodhounds resent the concept of giving their earn- ings  to  anyone.  Thus,  the  organization  does  not demand a piece of its members’ earnings. No Blood- hounds guildhalls or strongholds exist because no self- CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
52 respecting  Bloodhound  would  limit  himself  to  one base of operations. Since so many of the Bloodhounds’ marks are human, ranger Bloodhounds who have taken humans as favored enemies have an advantage in assignments. Thus, a large percentage of the membership is nonhuman, and differ- ing alignments are rarely an impediment to teaming up. In fact, rumor has it that a good elven Bloodhound and an evil gnoll Bloodhound regularly work together, since between them they can function in any society. The gulf between their alignments is simply not as wide as the bridge of their common goals. DEEPWOOD SNIPER An arrow flies from a high mountain aerie, unerringly striking a paladin’s mount. Expecting only a flesh wound, the  paladin  is  stunned  to  watch  his  companion  of many adventures crumple to the earth. This unfor- tunate knight has trespassed into the domain of the deepwood sniper, and he may not make it out alive. A  deepwood  sniper  is  patient,  careful,  quiet,  and deadly accurate. She is a stealthy, long-range terminator whose arrows sail accurately from much longer ranges than those of other archers. In addition, she has magical abilities to help her shafts fly true. Because of their alertness, dexterity, patience, and affinity for the bow, elves of almost any character class make excellent deepwood snipers. For a long time, elves would train only those of their own race in these tech- niques, but more recently some half-elves, halflings, and humans have joined the ranks of the deepwood sniper. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To qualify as a deepwood sniper, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Base Attack Bonus: +5. Skills:  Hide 4 ranks, Move Silently 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks. Feats: Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (any bow or crossbow). Class Skills The deepwood sniper’s class skills (and the key ability tor each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (bow- making)  (Int), Escape  Artist  (Dex), Intuit  Direction (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int). Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profes- sion (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the deepwood sniper prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Deepwood snipers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. All weapon-re- lated abilities of this prestige class apply only to projectile ranged weapons with which the character is proficient. Table 5–5: The Deepwood Sniper Class Base Fort Ref Will Level   Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Keen arrows, range increment bonus +10 ft./level 2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Concealment reduction 10%,magic weapon, projectile improved critical +1 3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Safe poison use 4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Take aim +2 5th +5 +1 +4 +1 Consistent aim 1/day 6th +6 +2 +5 +2 Concealment reduction 20%,keen edge 7th +7 +2 +5 +2 Consistent aim 2/day, projectile improved critical +2 8th +8 +2 +6 +2 Take aim +4 9th +9 +3 +6 +3 Consistent aim 3/day 10th +10 +3 +7 +3 Concealment reduction 30%,true strike CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
53 Keen Arrows (Ex): At 1st level,  all projectiles the deepwood sniper fires behave as if they were keen weap- ons in addition to any other properties they might pos- sess. Thus, a normal arrow fired by a deepwood sniper has a threat range of 19–20 instead of 20. This effect does not stack with any other keen effect. Range Increment Bonus (Ex): With each level the deepwood sniper gains, the range increments of her projectile weapons increase by +10 feet (added after all multipliers). Thus, a 10th-level deepwood sniper who has the Far Shot feat would have a 280-foot range incre- ment with a heavy crossbow (120 feet x 1.5 + 100 feet). Concealment Reduction (Ex): When the deepwood sniper reaches 2nd level, her miss chance against oppo- nents with concealment drops by 10%. Thus, she has a miss chance of 10% rather than 20% against an opponent with one-half concealment. Her miss chance drops by an additional 10% per tour deepwood sniper levels she gains thereafter, but this ability never reduces her miss chance against any opponent below 0%. Magic  W eapon  (Sp): At 2nd level, the character  can produce an effect identical to that of a magic weapon spell cast by a cleric of her deepwood sniper level. This ability is usable once per day on projectile weapons only. Projectile Improved Critical (Ex): When the deep- wood sniper reaches 2nd level, the critical damage mul- tipliers of all her  projectile  weapons increase by +1. Thus, an arrow that normally deals damage ×3 on a crit- ical hit instead does damage ×4 in her hands. When she reaches 7th level, these critical multipliers increase by an additional +1. Safe Poison Use (Ex): At 3rd level, a deepwood sniper can use poison without any chance of poisoning herself (see Perils of Using Poison in Chapter 3 of the DUNGEON MASTERS  Guide). Take Aim (Ex): A 4th-level deepwood sniper can gain a +2 bonus on her attack rolls against a stationary target by aiming carefully. Taking aim is a full-round action, and if the target moves more than 5 feet during that period, the bonus is lost. No additional benefit exists for spend- ing more than 1 round aiming. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level. Consistent Aim (Su): Once per day, a 5th-level deep- wood sniper can reroll one attack roll that she has just made  with a  projectile  weapon.  She  must  keep  that result, even if it is worse than the original roll. She can use this ability twice per day at 7th level and three times per day at 10th level, though each use must relate to a dif- ferent attack roll. Tr ue Strike (Sp): At 10th level, the deepwood sniper can produce an effect identical to that of a true strike spell cast by a cleric of her deepwood sniper level. This ability is usable once per day on projectile weapons only. EXOTIC WEAPON MASTER Swords and axes do not a warrior make. Such might be the unvoiced motto of the exotic weapon master—a stu- dent of her world’s most unusual and bizarre weapons. For  the exotic weapon  master,  the  intricacies  of  the shuriken, the siangham, the dire flail, and the hand cross- bow pose no difficulty at all. These unusual weapons are her trade, and in her hands, they become instruments of destruction. Characters of any race or background can become exotic weapon masters; the only real requirement is com- mitment  and  perseverance.  Nevertheless,  most  are human, because members of that race have the most ex- posure to new cultures and thus the most opportunities to take up exotic weapons. Hit Die: d10. Requirements To become an exotic weapon master, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Base Attack Bonus: +6. Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (any three). Special: Ability to rage. Class Skills The exotic weapon master’s class skills (and the key abil- ity for each  skill) are Craft (any) (Int) and Profession (any) (Int). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the exotic weapon master prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Exotic weapon masters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Partial Exotic Proficiency: At 1st level, the exotic weapon master can use any exotic weapon with which she is not already proficient at a –2 penalty instead of a –4 penalty on the attack roll. This penalty is reduced to –1 at 2nd level. Full Exotic Proficiency: At 3rd level, the exotic weapon master becomes proficient with all exotic weapons. Improvised Throwing Weapons: At 3rd level, the exotic weapon master can use artisan’s tools to fashion a usable throwing weapon from any object (rock, branch, melee weapon, or the like) that she can lift. This process takes at least 1 hour, or more if conditions are poor. The range increment for such an improvised weapon is 10 feet. It deals 1d6 points of damage (×2 on a critical hit), and its threat range is 20. The exotic weapon master is au- Table 5–6: The Exotic Weapon Master Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Partial exotic proficiency +2 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Partial exotic weapon proficiency+3 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Full exotic proficiency, improvised throwing weapons 4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Exotic focus, improvised melee weapons 5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Exotic specialization, greater improvised weapons CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
54 tomatically proficient with her improvised throwing weapon; anyone else who wishes to use it must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat to avoid the –4 nonprofi- ciency penalty. Most objects do bludgeoning damage; sharp items do piercing damage instead. Exotic Focus: At 4th level, the exotic weapon master gains a +1 bonus on her attack rolls when using any exotic weapon. This bonus does not stack with that pro- vided by the Weapon Focus feat. Improvised Melee Weapons: Also at 4th level, the exotic weapon master can use artisan’s tools to fashion a usable melee weapon from any object (rock, branch, pro- jectile weapon, or the like) that she can lift. This process takes at least 1 hour, or more if conditions are poor. Such an improvised melee weapon deals 1d6 points of damage (×2 on a critical hit), and its threat range is 20. The exotic weapon master is automatically proficient with her im- provised melee weapon; anyone else who wishes to use it must spend an Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat to avoid the –4 nonproficiency penalty. Most objects do bludg- eoning damage; sharp items do piercing damage instead. Long items (such as ladders) have reach according to their length, and items with many protrusions (such as chairs) give the exotic weapon master a +2 bonus on disarm attempts. Exotic Specialization: At 5th level, the exotic weap- on master gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls when using any exotic weapon. (For ranged weapons, this damage bonus applies only if the target is within 30 feet.) This modifier  does  not  stack  with  that  provided  by  the Weapon Specialization feat. Greater  Improvised Weapons:  At  5th  level, the exotic weapon master can make an impro- vised throwing or melee  weapon that deals 2d6 points of dam- age. This abil- ity otherwise f u n c t i o n s like the improvised throwing weapons or improvised melee weapons ability, depending on the kind of weapon desired. EYE OF GRUUMSH Most people think they’ve seen the worst that orcs can breed when an orc barbarian comes raging over a hill- top—at least until they see a one-eyed orc barbarian come raging over a hilltop. This creature may well be an eye of Gruumsh, an orc so devoted to his evil deity thai he has disfigured himself in Gruumsh’s name. In an epic battle at the dawn of time, the elven deity Corellon Larethian stabbed out Gruumsh’s left eye. Filled with rage and hatred, the orc deity called for followers loyal enough to serve in his image. Those who heed this call are known as the eyes of Gruumsh. They sacrifice their right eyes instead of their left ones so that their im- paired vision balances that of their deity. Thus, symboli- cally at least, they can see what he cannot. These living martyrs to Gruumsh are some of the toughest orcs and half-orcs in the world. The eye of Gruumsh is a true prestige class in the sense that all orcs respect those who achieve it. If a can- didate proves capable with the brutal orc double axe and has no moral code to stand in the way of his serv- ice, only the test remains—to put out his own right eye in a special ceremony. This is a bloody and painful ritu- al, the details of which are best left undescribed. If the candidate    makes    a    sound    during the  process,  he  fails  the  test. No consequences for failure     exist,    except that   he   can   never become  an  eye  of Gruumsh and   he’s   lost one eye. CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
55 Barbarians gain the most value from this prestige class, since it encourages raging as a fighting style. Fighters, clerics, rangers, and even rogues also heed this calling. orcs and half-orcs are the obvious candidates for the class, and some orc tribes whisper of barbarians from other races who have adopted this mantle. Of course, these may just be legends meant to inspire young orcs to jealous rage. Hit Die: d12. Requirements To qualify as an eye of Grummsh, a charac- ter must fulfill the following criteria. Race: orc or half-orc. (A character of another race who grows up among orcs may also adopt this prestige class if the DM permits.) Alignment: Chaotic evil, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil. Base Attack Bonus: +6. Feats:   Exotic    Weapon    Profi- ciency (orc double axe), Weapon Focus (orc double axe). Special: The  character must be a worshiper of Gru- umsh and must put out his own right eye in a special ritual. None of the eye of Gruumsh’s special abilities  func- tion if he regains sight in both eyes. Class Skills The eye of Gruumsh’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the eye of Gruumsh prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Eyes of Gruumsh are proficient with light and medium armor, shields, and all simple and martial weapons. Blind-Fight: At 1st level, the eye of Gruumsh gains Blind-Fight as a bonus feat. Follow Orders Blindly: At 1st level, the eye of Gru- umsh may grant a +2 morale bonus on Will saves to any nongood orcs or half-orcs with HD lower than his charac- ter level within 30 feet of him. Any recipient who willingly goes against the eye of Gruumsh’s directions loses this bonus immediately. Using this ability is a standard action, and   the   effect   lasts for  1  hour  per  eye  of Gruumsh level. Rage:  Also   at   1st level,  the  eye  of  Gru- umsh  gains  the  abili- ty  to  rage  as  a  barbar- ian  of  a  level  equal  to the   total   of   his   bar- barian  and  eye  of  Gru- umsh   levels.   Thus,   a Bbn14/eye of Gru- umsh2  can  use  rage  5 times per day. Ritual Scarring: Through  frequent  dis- figuration   of   his   own skin,  the  eye  of  Gru- umsh  gains  a  +1  nat- ural    armor    bonus at   3rd   level.   This bonus increases by  +1  for  every three eye of G  r  u  u  m  s  h levels    gained thereafter. S   w   i   n   g Blindly (Ex): At   2nd   level,   the eye of Gruumsh gains an  additional  +2  bonus  to  his  Strength score  while  raging.  While  this  ability  is  in  effect, the character provokes attacks of opportunity as though he were casting a spell whenever he takes any kind of attack action. Blinding Spittle (Ex): The  eye  ot  Gruumsh  can launch blinding spittle at any opponent within 20 feet. Using a ranged touch attack (at a –4 penalty), he spits his stomach acid into the target’s eyes. An opponent who fails a Reflex save (DC 10 + eye of Gruumsh level + eye of Table 5–7: The Eye of Gruumsh Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Blind-Fight, follow orders blindly, rage 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Swing blindly 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Ritual scarring +1 4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Blinding spittle 1/hour 5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Blindsight, 5-foot radius 6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Ritual scarring +2 7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Blinding spittle 2/hour 8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Blindsight, 10-foot radius 9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Ritual scarring +3 10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Sight of Gruumsh CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
56 Gruumsh’s Constitution bonus) is blinded until he or she can rinse away the spittle. This attack has no effect on creatures that don’t have eyes or don’t depend on vision. Blinding spittle is usable once per hour at 4th level and twice per hour at 7th level. Blindsight (Ex): At 5th level, the eye of Gruumsh gains blindsight in a 5-foot radius. This ability is other- wise identical to the hearing-based version described in the introduction of the Monster Manual. Its range in- creases to 10 feet at 8th level. Sight of Gruumsh: At 10th level, the eye of Gruumsh sees the moment of his own death through his missing eye. This foreknowledge gives him a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws from then on. (Whether or not the vision is accurate is irrelevant—the character believes it to be true.) Organization: The Eyes Of Gruumsh “The cycle of my father’s people is a simple one. You kill, you get better at killing, and you kill again. Break the cycle, and you die.” —Krusk Though orcs revere eyes of Gruumsh for their unique clarity of vision, the average eye of Gruumsh isn’t partic- ularly well qualified to think for an entire tribe—even though he often assumes leadership of a tribe early in his career. Thus, he relies on a cleric of Gruumsh for wise counsel. To discourage any unhealthy confusion among their followers about who is in charge, both the eye of Gruumsh and the cleric encourage war against other races at every opportunity. Since  eyes  of  Gruumsh  seek  to  avenge  Corellon Larethian’s insult to their deity, most are so obsessed with the destruction of elves that they attack any elven com- munity on sight. Inspired by their leaders’ rage, other orcs often throw themselves heedlessly at elven hordes. Multiple eyes of Gruumsh usually don’t work well to- gether because they commonly have competing ideas about which course of action serves  their deity best. Every few decades or so, however, several eyes of Gru- umsh  get  the  same  idea  in  their heads—a  crusade! (After all, a holy crusade involving hundreds of tribes under the command of dozens of eyes of Gruumsh is just the thing to inspire the younger generation to the deity’s service.) When this occurs, the eyes of Gruumsh meet and declare truces between competing tribes by closing  their  functional  left  eyes  all  at  once—thus blinding them to their own bickering. Then they go out and try to eradicate some other species. FOE HUNTER The foe hunter has but one purpose in life: to kill crea- tures of the type she hates. She is willing to pay any price or risk any danger to prevail against this hated foe. Her blade is anathema to such creatures, and her body is  more  often  than  not  proof  against  their  attacks. Though her hatred of this enemy is boundless and un- ending, it is not unthinking or rash. She lives to put an end to her hated foe, but she does not throw away her own life needlessly. The foe hunter’s path is open to any creature, good or evil. Some hunt humans or even celestials; others hunt the foulest spawn of the underworld. NPC foe hunters can be fierce allies against formidable enemies or implacable op- ponents dedicated to killing those the heroes love. A character can choose this prestige class more than once but must select a different hated enemy and start again  at  1st  level  each  time.  Levels  of  different  foe hunter classes do not stack when determining level- based class features. Hit Die: d10. Requirements To become a foe hunter, a character must fulfill the fol- lowing criteria. Base Attack Bonus: +7. Feats: Track, Weapon Focus (any). Language:  The  language  (if  any)  of  the intended hated enemy. Special: The character must have a favored enemy. Class Skills The foe hunter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Wilder- ness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the toe hunter prestige class. Table 5–8: The Foe Hunter Class Base Fort Ref Will Level   Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Hated enemy, rancor +1d6 2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Hated enemy damage reduction 3/– 3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Rancor +2d6 4th +3 +4 +4 +1 Hated enemy damage reduction 5/–, hated enemy spell resistance 5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Rancor +3d6 6th +4 +5 +5 +2 Hated enemy damage reduction 7/– 7th +5 +5 +5 +2 Rancor +4d6 8th +6 +6 +6 +2 Hated enemy damage reduction 9/– 9th +6 +6 +6 +3 Rancor +5d6 10th +7 +7 +7 +3 Death attack, hated enemy damage reduction 11/– CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
57 Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Foe hunters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Hated Enemy: At 1st level, the foe hunter chooses one creature type that she has already selected as a fa- vored enemy to be the target of her hatred. This choice determines what kind of foe hunter she becomes—orc hunter, giant hunter, or the like. The choice of hated enemy is irreversible. Rancor (Su): The foe hunter can deliver a powerful blow to her hated enemy. Once per round, on her action, she can designate one of her attacks against a hated enemy as a rancor attack before the attack roll is made. A successful rancor attack by a 1st-level foe hunter deals +1d6 points of extra damage. This amount increases by +1d6 points for every two additional foe hunter levels the attacker acquires. Should the foe hunter score a critical hit with a rancor attack, this extra damage is not multi- plied. The extra damage from a rancor attack applies even if that hated enemy is immune to critical hits. With a sap or an unarmed strike, the foe hunter can deal subdual damage instead of normal damage with a rancor attack. She cannot, however, do subdual damage with a weapon that deals normal damage in a rancor at- tack, even when taking the usual –4 penalty. Hated Enemy Damage Reduction (Ex):  At  2nd level, the foe hunter can shrug off 3 points of damage from each successful attack by her hated enemy. This damage reduction increases by 2 points for every two additional foe hunter levels she has. Damage reduction can  reduce  damage  to  0,  but  not  below  that.  Hated enemy damage reduction does not stack with any other damage reduction the character has. Hated Enemy Spell Resistance (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, the foe hunter can avoid the effects of spells and spell-like abilities that would directly affect her, as long as they originate from her hated enemy. Against such effects, the foe hunter has spell resistance equal to 15 + her foe hunter class level. This stacks with any other applicable spell resistance the character may have. Death Attack (Ex): At 10th level, the foe hunter can make a death attack against a hated enemy that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC (whether or not it actually has one). This ability functions like the assassin’s death attack (see  Assassin  in  Chapter  2  of  the DUNGEON  MASTER S Guide), except that the foe hunter need only make a melee attack that successfully does damage, not a sneak attack. FORSAKER Magic is evil. Magic tempts. Magic perverts. Magic cor- rupts. Anyone who cannot embrace these truths has no business considering the path of the forsaker. The forsaker rebels against the magic of the fantastic world around him. It’s not that he doesn’t believe in it; he knows full well that magic is real. He has felt its all too tangible power burn over his skin or wrest control of his mind from him. While others may ignore the dangers of magic and succumb to its siren call of power, the forsak- er knows better. To him, sorcery is nothing but a crutch that coddles and weakens its users. By depending upon his own resources alone, the forsaker becomes stronger, tougher, smarter, and more nimble than any of his com- panions. To that end, he treads a lonely path, deliberately depriving himself of magic’s benefits and destroying any magic items he finds. Forsakers can take up any standard or philosophy, though they tend more toward chaos than law. Evil for- sakers hunt down and kill the most powerful users of magic that they can find, as if to demonstrate the ultimate weakness of the wizard and the sorcerer. Good forsakers commit themselves to expunging evil sorcery from their world, but they too see themselves as examples of how mundane strength can conquer foul enchantments. Though forsakers do their best to resist all spells— even beneficial ones—cast upon them, some eventually learn to tolerate their companions’ magic. A few claim that they are leading by example; others rationalize that only by consorting with lesser villains can they defeat greater ones. Whatever  justification they use, the  al- liance between forsaker and spellcaster, no matter how temporary or how necessary, is seldom a peaceful one. Few  characters  other  than  dwarven  fighters  and human or half-orc barbarians can appreciate the lifestyle of the forsaker. Elves, half-elves, and gnomes are sur- rounded by the benefits of magic from birth, so they are unlikely to choose this path. Dwarves, on the other hand, are  naturally  suspicious  of  sorcery,  and  many  rural humans are just as distrustful. Certainly, no spellcaster should consider this career choice, since it means the vir- tual end of advantages gained from a former class. Even paladins and rangers must think hard before leaving behind their spells and spell-like abilities. Fighters and rogues occasionally take up this prestige class, but most forsakers are barbarians. Some say that only such a prim- CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
58 itive, focused mind could ever manage to forsake magic for good. Hit Die: d12. Requirements To qualify as a forsaker, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Feats: Great Forti- tude, Iron Will, Light- ning Reflexes. Special: The charac- ter  must  once  have been  the  victim  of  a magical attack that seri- ously wounded him or threatened his life. He must  also  sell  or  give away all his magic items (including magic weap- ons, armor, and potions) and renounce the use of any spellcasting and spell- like abilities he previously used. Class Skills The forsaker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb  (Str),  Craft  (any)  (Int), Handle Animal (Wis), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis),  Jump  (Str),  Listen  (Wis), Ride  (Dex),  Sense  Motive  (Wis), Swim   (Str),  Tumble   (Dex),   and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the forsaker prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Forsakers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Ability Bonus (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, the char acter gains a +1 inherent bonus to any desired ability score for each forsaker level. Fast Healing (Ex): Forsakers regain hit points at an exceptionally fast rate. At 1st level, the charac- ter regains 1 hit point per round, to a maxi- mum of 10 hit points per day. The number of hit points regained per round increas- es by +1 for every four forsaker levels, and the maximum restorable  per day  increases  by  10  for  every two forsaker levels. Except as noted   above,   this    ability works  like  the  fast  healing ability  described  in  the in- troduction  of  the  Monster Manual. Forsake   Magic:    In addition  to  avoiding  all use of    spellcasting, spell-like abilities, and magic items, the forsaker    must    also refuse any bene- fits from others’ magic —including magical healing. Thus,    he     must     at- tempt  a  saving  throw against   any   spell   that allows    one.    For    most beneficial    spells,    such displacement    or   neutralize poison,   a   successful   save negates  the  spell’s  effects; for  a  cure  spell,  it  halves  the benefit. Any forsaker who unwittingly uses a magic item or casts a spell (while under the influence of a charm person or dominate person spell, for example) loses all  the  special  abilities  of  the  prestige  class  for  one week. Spell Resistance (Ex): At 1st level, the forsaker gains spell resistance 11. This value increases by +1 with each forsaker level gained and stacks with any other applica- ble spell resistance he has. Table 5–9: The Forsaker Class Base Fort Ref Will Level    Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Ability bonus +1, fast healing 1 (10), forsake magic, SR 11 2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 3/+1, magic destruction, SR 12 3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Ability bonus +1, fast healing 1 (20), natural weapons, SR 13, tough defense 4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 5/+2, SR 14 5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Ability bonus +1, fast healing 2 (30), SR 5 6th +6 +5 +2 +5 Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 7/+3, slippery mind, SR 16 7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Ability bonus +1, fast healing 2 (40), SR 7 8th +8 +6 +2 +6 Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 9/+4, SR 18 9th +9 +6 +3 +6 Ability bonus +1, fast healing 3 (50), SR 19 10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Ability bonus +1, damage reduction 11/+5, SR 20 CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
59 Damage Reduction (Ex): At 2nd level, the forsaker gains damage reduction 3/+1. This damage resistance rises by 2/+1 for every two forsaker levels he gains there- after. This ability remains in effect only as long as the forsaker  destroys  the  required value  of  magic  items every 24 hours (see Magic Destruction, below). This does  not  stack  with  any  other damage reduction he already has. Magic Destruction: The forsaker gains access to his damage reduction ability (see above) through the de- struction of magic items, if he goes more than 24 hours without destroying magic items whose market prices total at least 100 gp per point of damage reduction, he loses that ability until he does so. Tough Defense (Ex): At 3rd level, a forsaker gains a natural armor bonus equal to his Constitution bonus (if any). Natural Weapons (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the forsaker can fight as though he and his weapon were one. Any weapon he uses functions as if it were a natural weapon for overcoming damage reduction (see Damage Reduction in the introduction of the Monster Manual). That is, if the forsaker has damage reduction 3/+1, any weapon he uses functions as if it were a +1 weapon for overcoming a foe’s damage reduction. Slippery Mind (Ex): At 6th level, the forsaker can wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control  or  compel  him.  if  he  fails  his  saving  throw against an enchantment effect, he can attempt his saving throw again 1 round later. He gets only one extra chance to succeed at his saving throw. Ex-Forsakers Forsakers can multiclass normally, as long as they con- tinue to abide by the strictures of the prestige class. Any forsaker who willingly violates those strictures by using magic items or casting spells loses all special abilities of the prestige class and can progress no further as a for- saker. If he thereafter remains pure (uses no magic) for a period of a year and a day, his abilities are reinstated at their previous levels and he may once again progress in the prestige class. FRENZIED BERSERKER The random madness of the thunderstorm and the un- predictability of the slaadi come together in the soul of the frenzied berserker. Unlike most other characters, she does not fight to achieve some heroic goal or defeat a loathsome villain. Those are mere excuses—it is the thrill of combat that draws her. For the frenzied barbar- ian,  the  insanity  of  battle  is  much  like  an  addictive drug—she must constantly seek out more conflict to feed her craving for battle. Along the wild borderlands and in the evil kingdoms of the world, frenzied berserkers often lead warbands that include a variety of character types—and even other frenzied berserkers. Some such groups turn to banditry and brigandage; others serve as specialized mercenaries. Whatever their origin, such warbands naturally gravitate toward situations of instability and conflict, because wars and civil strife are their bread and butter. Indeed, the coming  of  a  frenzied  berserker  is  the  most  obvious herald of troubled times. The frenzied berserker’s path is unsuited for most ad- venturers—a  fact  for  which  the  peace-lovers  of  the world can be thankful. Because of their traditional love for battle, orc and half-orc barbarians are the ones who most frequently adopt this prestige class, though human and dwarven barbarians also find it appealing. It might seem that elves would be good candidates because of their chaotic nature, but the elven aesthetic and love of grace are at odds with the frenzied berserker’s devalua- tion  of  the  self.  Spellcasting  characters  and  monks almost never become frenzied berserkers. Hit Die: d12. Requirements To become a frenzied berserker, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Alignment: Any nonlawful. Base Attack Bonus: +6. Feats: Cleave, Destructive Rage, Intimidating Rage, Power Attack. Class Skills The frenzied berserker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the frenzied berserker prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Frenzied berserk- ers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Frenzy (Ex):  Beginning  at  1st  level,  the  frenzied berserker can enter a frenzy during combat. While fren- zied, she gains a +6 bonus to Strength and a single extra attack each round at her highest bonus. (This latter effect is not cumulative with haste.) However, she also suffers a –4 penalty to AC and takes 2 points of subdual damage per round. A frenzy lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the frenzied berserker’s Constitution modifier. To end the frenzy before its duration expires, the character may attempt a Will save (DC 20) once per round as a free action. Success ends the frenzy immediately; failure means it continues. The effects of frenzy stack with those from rage. At 1st level, the character can enter a frenzy once per day. Thereafter, she gains one additional use per day of this ability for every two frenzied berserker levels she ac- quires. The character can enter a frenzy as a free action. Even though this takes no time, she can do it only during her action, not in response to another’s action. In addi- tion, if she suffers damage from an attack, spell, trap, or any other source, she automatically enters a frenzy at the start of her next action, as long as she still has at least one daily usage of the ability left. To avoid entering a frenzy in response to damage, the character must make a suc- cessful Will save (DC 10 + points of damage suffered since her last action) at the start of her next action. CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
60 While frenzied, the character cannot use skills or abil- ities that require patience or concentration (such as Move Silently), nor can she cast spells, drink potions, ac- tivate magic items, or read scrolls. She can use any feat she has except Expertise, item creation feats, metamagic feats, and Skill Focus in a skill that requires patience or concentration. She can, however, use her special ability to inspire frenzy (see below) normally. During a frenzy, the frenzied berserker must attack those she perceives as foes to the best of her ability. Should she run out of enemies before her frenzy expires, her rampage continues. She must then attack the near- est creature (determine randomly if several potential toes are equidistant) and fight that opponent without regard to friendship, innocence, or health (the target’s or her own). When a frenzy ends, the frenzied berserker is fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity, unable to charge or run) for the duration ot the encounter, or until she enters another frenzy, whichever comes first. At 10th level, she is no longer fatigued alter a frenzy, though she still suffers the subdual damage tor each round it lasts. Starting at 8th level, the character’s frenzy bonus to Strength becomes  +10 instead ot +6. Remain Conscious: The frenzied berserker gains Remain Conscious as a bonus feat. Supreme Cleave: At 2nd level, the frenzied berserker can take a 5-toot step between attacks when using the Cleave or Great Cleave feat. She is still limited to one such adjustment per round, so she cannot use this abil- ity during a round in which she has already taken a 5- foot step. Deathless Frenzy (Ex):  At 4th level, the frenzied berserker can scorn death and unconsciousness while in a frenzy. Should her hit points to fall to 0 or below be- cause of hit point loss, she continues to fight normally until her frenzy ends. At that point, the effects of her wounds apply normally. This ability does not prevent death from spell effects such as slay living or disintegrate. Improved Power Attack: Beginning at 5th level, the frenzied berserker gains a +3 bonus on her melee damage rolls for every –2 penalty she takes on her melee attack rolls when using the Power Attack feat. Inspire Frenzy (Su): Beginning at 6th level, the fren- zied berserker can inspire frenzy in her allies while she herself is frenzied. When she uses this ability, all allies within 10 feet of her gain the benefits and the disadvan- tages of frenzy as it  they had that ability themselves. Those who do not wish to be affected can make a Will save  (DC  10  +  frenzied  berserker  level  +  frenzied berserker’s Charisma modifier) to resist the effect. The frenzy of affected allies lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the frenzied berserker’s Constitution modi- fier, regardless of whether they remain within 10 feet of her. The frenzied berserker gains one additional use of this ability  per  day  for  every  two  additional  frenzied berserker levels she acquires, though the ability is still usable only once per encounter. Supreme Power Attack: At 10th level, the frenzied berserker gains a +2 bonus on her melee damage rolls for every –1 penalty she takes on her melee attack rolls when using the Power Attack feat. This effect does not Stack with that of Improved Power Attack. GEOMANCER The cleric reaches out to a higher power. The wizard trusts only in eldritch tomes. The druid looks to nature for her spells. To the geomancer. however, all magic is the same. Geomancy is the art of channeling magical energy from many sources through the land itself A geomancer may research like a wizard, pray like a cleric, or sing like a bard, but he casts spells as only a geomancer can. In the area he calls home (be it high on a mountain, deep in 3 Forest, or even beneath an ocean) he weaves ley lines— powerful connections to the land itself. The spells he casts through these connections with the earth are re- flections of his own strength ot will. As the geomancer progresses,  however,  the  effort  of  gathering mag:c through the earth takes a physical toll on him. making him more and more like the land and its creatures. Only characters with more than one spellcasting class can become geomancers. The most popular combina- tions are druid sorcerer and druid wizard. Clerics with arcane spellcasting ability can also qualify, those with access to the Plant or Animal domain are the most likely to consider this path. A bard or a ranger who picks up a second, more focused spellcasting class can also adopt thislifestyle. Hit Die: d6. Requirements To quality as a geomancer, a character must fulfill the fol- lowing criteria. Table 5–10: The Frenzied Berserker Class Base Fort Ref Will Level   Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Frenzy 1 /day, Remain Conscious 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Supreme cleave 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Frenzy 2/day 4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Deathless frenzy 5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Frenzy 3/day, improved power attack 6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Inspire frenzy 1/day 7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Frenzy 4/day 8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Greater frenzy, inspire frenzy 2/day 9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Frenzy 5/day 10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Inspire frenzy 3/day, no longer winded after frenzy, supreme power attack CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
61 Skills:  Knowledge  (arcana)  6  ranks,  Knowledge (nature) 6 ranks. Spells: Ability to cast 2nd-level arcane spells and 2nd level divine spells. Class Skills The geomancer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Animal Empathy (Cha), Con centration (Con), Craft (any)  (Int), Diplomacy  (Cha), Handle  Animal  (Cha),  Heal  (Wis),  Intuit  Direction (Wis), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Scry (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill de scriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the geomancer pres tige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Geomancers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each geomancer level, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of thai class would have gained (addi tional wild shape options, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like). Since the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a geomancer,  the player must decide to which class to add each geomancer level for determining spells per day and spells known. Spell Versatility: At 1st level, the geomancer learns to blend divine and arcane magic. He still acquires and pre- pares his spells in the normal manner tor his individual spellcasting classes. When he casts them, however, he can mix or match spellcasting parameters from any of his classes to gain the maximum possible advantage for any spell with a spell level equal to or less than his spell ver- satility score. Thus, as a 4th-level geomancer, he can cast any of his 3rd-level or lower sorcerer/wizard spells with no  chance  of  arcane  spell  failure  from  armor.  (The druidic prohibition against metal armor still applies to druid/geomancers, however, since this stricture stems from a spiritual oath rather than a practical limitation.) The geomancer may use his Wisdom bonus to set the save DC tor arcane spells, or his Charisma or Intelligence bonus (whichever he would normally use tor arcane spells; to set the save DC tor divine spells. If a spell re- quires either an arcane material component or a divine focus, he may use either. A cleric/geomancer who also has levels of wizard, sorcerer, or bard can spontaneously convert any prepared arcane or divine spell (except a domain spell) of an appropriate level into a cure or inflict spell of equal or lower level, though he must be capable of casting the latter as a cleric. Drift: The character slowly becomes closer to nature. At each geomancer level, choose a drift from the appro- priate stage (see Drift, below). Ley Lines:  At 2nd level,  the geomancer  learns  to create magical connections with a specific type of ter- rain. Choose one of the following terrain types: aquatic, desert, Forest, hills, marsh, mountains, or plains. In that terrain, the geomancer’s effective  caster level for all spells increases by +1. At 6th level and again at 10th level, Table 5–11: The Geomancer Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day/Spells Known 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Drift 1, spell versatility 0 +1 level of existing class 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Drift 1, ley lines +1, spell versatility 1 +1 level of existing class 3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Drift 2, spell versatility 2 +1 level of existing class 4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Drift 2, spell versatility 3 +1 level of existing class 5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Drift 3, spell versatility 4 +1 level of existing class 6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Drift 3, ley lines +2, spell versatility 5 +1 level of existing class 7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Drift 4, spell versatility 6 +1 level of existing class 8th +6 +6 +2 +6 Drift 4, spell versatility 7 +1 level of existing class 9th +6 +6 +3 +6 Drift 5, spell versatility 8 +1 level of existing class 10th +7 +7 +3 +7 Drift 5, ley lines +3, spell versatility 9 +1 level of existing class CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
62 the character may either choose a new terrain in which to receive the benefit (at +1), or increase his effective caster level in a previously chosen terrain by an addi- tional +1. Drift Drift is a gradual devolution into some other natural form. Those who experience this phenomenon gain at- tributes of animals and plants as time goes by.  Geo- mancers experience drift at every level. As a variant rule, high-level druids who spend all their lives away from civ- ilization  may  also  experience  drift  at  the  Dungeon Master’s discretion—perhaps once every ten years. Drift is divided into stages. You must choose one drift from stage 1 the first time you experience the phenome- non. Your second drift must also be from stage 1. There- after, you may choose from a higher stage only after you have acquired at least two drifts from the previous stage. For example, a stage 4 drift may be chosen only after you have at least two stage 1 drifts, two stage 2 drifts, and two stage 3 drifts. You may, however, choose drifts from stages below your maximum whenever you wish. For ex- ample, you if you have two stage 1 drifts, you may choose a third stage 1 rather than a stage 2, if desired. Stage 1 drifts have no game effect. Each drift of stage 2 and beyond grants a permanent extraordinary ability. Natural attacks allow for Strength bonuses on damage rolls, except in the case of poison and acid. Stage 1 1. Leopard spots appear on your body. 2. You grow a cat’s tail. 3. You sprout feathers (but not wings). 4. Your eyebrows become green and bushy. 5. Your hair becomes a tangle of short vines. 6. Light, downy fur covers your skin. 7. Your skin turns green and scaly. 8. Your touch causes flowers to wilt. 9. Your voice sounds like a dog’s, though it is still intelli- gible. 10. Zebra stripes appear on your body. Stage 2 1. A small camel’s hump grows on your back. (You can go without water for up to five days.) 2. You grow a coat of white fur like a polar bear’s. (You gain a +8 bonus on Hide checks in snowy areas.) 3. The pads of your feet become sticky, like those of a lizard. (You gain a +4 bonus on Climb checks.) 4. You  become  as  swift  as  an  elk.  (Your  land  speed increases by +5 feet.) 5. You become as comely as a dryad. (You gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy checks.) 6. You become as graceful as a cat. (You gain a +4 bonus on Balance checks.) 7. You sprout leaves and become photosynthetic. (You can subsist on 1 hour/day of sunlight in lieu of food, though you still require the same amount of water as before.) 8. Your blood flows as slowly as tree sap. The speed at which progressive damage, such as that from wounding or decomposition (see Chapter 6), affects you is halved. 9. Your eyes become as sharp as a rat’s. (You gain low-light vision.) 10. Your skin adapts like that of an octopus. (You can change color to blend with your surroundings, gain- ing a +4 bonus on Hide checks.) Stage 3 1. Deer antlers grow from your forehead. (You gain a gore attack for 1d6 points of damage.) 2. Thorns grow on your body. (Your unarmed attacks do piercing damage, and those striking you with natural weapons suffer 1d3 points of piercing damage per suc- cessful hit.) 3. You can constrict like a snake. (You deal 1d3 points of damage with a successful grapple check against a crea- ture of your size category or smaller.) 4. You can spin a web like a spider. (You can use your web to snare prey as described in the monstrous spider entry in the Monster Manual, but you cannot attack with it.) 5. You sprout fish gills. (You can breathe both water and air.) 6. Your eyes become as sharp as an eagle’s. (You gain a +4 bonus on Spot checks in daylight.) 7. Your eyes become as sharp as an owl’s. (You gain a +4 bonus on Spot checks in dusk and darkness.) 8. Your fingers grow hawklike talons. (You gain Weapon Finesse [claw] and can make two claw attacks per round for 1d3 points of damage each.) 9. Your mouth extends like a crocodile’s. (You gain a bite attack for 1d6 points of damage.) 10. Your toes grow lionlike claws. (You can make two rake attacks for 1d4 points of damage each if you gain a hold on your target.) Stage 4 1. You grow an acid stinger like that of a giant ant. (You can sting for  1d4 points of piercing damage + 1d4 points of acid damage.) 2. You can trip like a wolf. (If you hit with a natural attack, you can attempt to  trip your target as a free action; see the wolf entry in the Monster Manual.) 3. You can rage like a wolverine. (If you take damage, you rage as a 1st-level barbarian—see Barbarian in the Player’s Handbook—or gain +1 effective level of any class you have that grants rage as a class feature, but only for determining the benefits of rage.) 4. You gam a boar’s ferocity. (You continue to fight with- out penalty even while disabled or dying.) 5. You can grab like a bear. (You gain the improved grab ability  as  described  in  the  introduction  of  the Monster Manual.) 6. You can pounce like a leopard. (If you leap on a foe in the first round of combat, you can make a full attack action even if you have already taken a move action.. 7. Your hands become as strong as a gorilla’s. (You gain a +2 bonus on Strength checks to break objects.) 8. Your jaw becomes as powerful as a weasels. (You can attach  to  an  opponent  with  a  successful  bite  and inflict 1d3 points of damage per round until unat- tached. However, you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC while attached.) 9. You can fire an ink cloud as does a squid. (In water, you can emit a cloud of jet-black ink 10 feet on a side once CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
63 per minute as a free action; this provides total conceal- ment and those within the cloud suffer the effects of total darkness.) 10. Your nose becomes as sensitive as a hound’s. (You gain the Scent feat; see Chapter 2.) Stage 5 1.  You grow a unicorn horn. (You gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves against poison and a gore attack for 1d8 points of damage.) 2. Feathered or batlike wings grow from your back. (You gain a fly speed of 60 feet.) 3. You can curl into a spiny ball like a hedgehog. (When curled, you gain a +4 natural armor bonus to AC, but you may not move or attack. Curling or uncurling is a standard action.) 4. You are as graceful as a pixie. (You gain a +2 bonus on Reflex saves.) 5. You gain the tremorsense of an earthworm. (You can sense anything in contact with the ground within 30 feet of you.) 6. Your canine teeth exude poison. (If you hit with a bite attack, your target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Constitution modifi- er) against poison. Initial damage is 1d2 points of tem- porary Dexterity damage; secondary damage is 1d4 points of temporary Dexterity damage.) 7. Your senses become as sharp as a bat’s. (You gain the Blindsight feat; see Chapter 2.) 8. Your feet extend to elephantine width. (You gain the trample ability as described in the introduction of the Monster  Manual. Your  trample  attack  does  2d4 points of bludgeoning damage, and the Reflex save DC is 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Strength modifier.) 9. You can move like a cheetah. (Once per hour, you can take a charge action to move ten times your normal speed.) 10. Your skin becomes tree bark. (You gain a +1 natural armor bonus to AC.) HEXER “Do not meet the gaze of the shaman with the evil eye,” warn townsfolk who have crossed paths with a hexer. Unfortunately, the typical intrepid adventurer rarely hears such advice in time. The hexer profits by this igno- rance, surprising his victims with the power of his gaze. Many hexers inflict curses that follow their victims like a plague. The more powerful practitioners can engender fear, cause magical slumber, or enthrall their victims as slaves with a mere glance. Hexers are unknown among civilized peoples; they are found only among tribes of goblins, ogres, and orcs. Prior to pursuing the path of the hexer, most of them were adepts  who  served  as  witch  doctors  for  their  tribes. Hexers often assume leadership of their tribes as well— who would dare to gainsay them, after all? Most hexers are villainous, evil cretins lacking any code of morality, and the vast majority of them hate humans, elves, dwarves, and other civilized races. Neu- tral hexers are no less dangerous, especially when some- thing threatens the welfare of their tribes. Hit Die: d6. CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
64 Requirements To become a hexer, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Race/Type: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, or other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll. Alignment: Any nongood. Skills: Knowledge  (arcana)  10  ranks, Spellcraft  8 ranks, Wilderness Lore 10 ranks. Spellcasting: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell. Class Skills The hexer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy  (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (any) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (any) (Int), Profession (any) (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill) Spellcraft (Int), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the hexer prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hexers gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each hexer level, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spell- casting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other ben- efit a character of that class would have gained (addi- tional wild shape  options, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like), if the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a hexer, the player must decide to which class to add each hexer level for de- termining spells per day and spells known. H ex (Sp): At 1st level, the hexer gains a gaze attack. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level and twice per day at 2nd level. Thereafter, he gains one additional use per day of this ability for every two hexer levels he acquires. Activating this power is a standard action, and it lasts for a number of rounds equal to the character’s hexer level. Each round, the hexer’s gaze attack automatically works against one creature within 30 feet that is look- ing at (attacking or interacting with) him. Targets who avert their eyes have a 50% chance of avoiding the gaze, but the hexer gains one-half concealment (20% miss chance) relative to those who successfully avoid tine gaze. Targets can also close their eyes or turn away en- tirely; doing so prevents the hex  from affecting them but  grants  the  gazer  total  concealment  (50%  miss chance) relative to them. An affected target must make a Will save (DC 10 + hexer level + hexer’s Wisdom modifier) or suffer a –4 en- hancement penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks. These effects are permanent until removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, mir- acle, remove curse, or wish spell. This is an enchantment effect and cannot be dispelled. A  hex  does  not  affect  undead  creatures  or  extend beyond the plane that the hexer occupies. The hexer is subject to the effects of his own reflected gaze and is al- lowed a saving throw against them. Bonus Spell: At 2nd level, the hexer adds a new spell of his choice to his spell list. This spell must come from the wizard/sorcerer spell list and must be of a spell level that the hexer can cast. He can prepare this new spell at the same spell level as it appeared on the wizard/sorcerer list. He gains one additional bonus spell for every two hexer levels he has. Sicken Hex (Sp): At 3rd level, the hexer can use his gaze attack to inflict a debilitating illness. This ability func- tions like the hex ability (above), except that the target must make a Fortitude save instead of a Will save to resist, and the effect is as described below. A sicken hex re- quires one daily use of the character’s hex ability. A target who fails the save is overcome with pain and fever,  which  causes  him  or  her  to  move  at  one-half normal speed, lose any Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and suffer a –2 circumstance penalty on  attack rolls. These effects are permanent until removed with a break enchantment,  limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or  wish spell. A sicken hex is a necromancy effect that cannot be dispelled. F ear Hex (Sp): At 5th level, the hexer can use his gaze attack to engender fear. This ability functions like the hex ability (above), except that target is affected as if by a fear spell. A fear hex  is a mind-influencing, compulsion, en- chantment effect, and it requires one daily use of the character’s hex ability. Sleep Hex (Sp): At 7th level, the hexer can use his gaze to generate a sleep effect. This ability functions like the hex ability (above), except that duration is 10 minutes  × the character’s hexer level and the target is affected as if Table 5–12: The Hexer Class Base Fort Ref Will Level   Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day/Spells Known 1st +1 +0 +0 +2 Hex   1/day +1 level of existing class 2nd +2 +0 +0 +3 Bonus spell,hex   2/day +1 level of existing class 3rd +3 +1 +1 +3 Sicken hex +1 level of existing class 4th +4 +1 +1 +4 Bonus spell,hex   3/day +1 level of existing class 5th +5 +1 +} +4 Fear hex +1 level of existing class 6th +6 +2 +2 +5 Bonus spell,hex   4/day +1 level of existing class 7th +7 +2 +2 +5 Sleep hex +1 level of existing class 8th +8 +2 +2 +6 Bonus spell,hex   5/day +1 level of existing class 9th +9 +3 +3 +6 Charm hex +1 level of existing class 10th +10 +3 +3 +7 Bonus spell,hex   6/day +1 level of existing class CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
65 by a sleep spell. A sleep hex is a mind-influencing, compul- sion, enchantment effect, and it requires one daily use of the character’s hex ability. Charm  Hex (Sp): At 9th level, the hexer can use his gaze attack to generate a charm monster effect. This ability functions like the hex ability (above), except that dura- tion is 1 day per hexer level and the target is affected as if by a charm monster spell. (Should the hexer fall victim to his own reflected gaze attack, he is affected as if by a hold monster spell.) A charm hex is a mind-influencing, charm, enchantment effect, and it requires one daily use of the character’s hex ability. KING/QUEEN OF THE WILD Few are brave enough to climb the highest mountains and tread the deepest deserts. But where nature’s fury is at its height, there you’ll find the kings and queens of the wild, undaunted by the challenges before them—that is, if you’re strong enough to look for them there. When choosing this prestige class, you must specify one of the following eight terrain types: desert, Forest, hills,  marsh,  mountain,  plains,  sea,  skies,  or  under- ground. Other terrain types are not harsh enough to en- gender this kind of survivalism. Anyone with a tie to nature and sufficient hardiness can become a king or queen of the wild. Rangers, bar- barians, and  druids tend to be the most comfortable with this lifestyle. However, many adventurers have clashed with snow wizards and desert sorcerers who have augmented their powers by adopting this pres- tige class. A character can choose this prestige class more than once but must select a different terrain type and start again at 1st level each time. Levels of different king/ queen of the wild classes do not stack for determining level-based class features. Hit Die: d12. Requirements To become a king or queen of the wild, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Base Fortitude Save Bonus: +4. Skills: Hide 4 ranks, Intuit Direction 4 ranks, Wilder- ness Lore 8 ranks, terrain-dependent prerequisite skill (see below) 4 ranks. Feats: Endurance, Track. Special: The character must choose a terrain type (see below) and live in or near such an area. Class Skills The king/queen of the wild’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (any)  (Int), Handle Animal  (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the king/queen of the wild prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Kings and queens of the wild gain proficiency with simple weapons and light armor. Terrain Skill Bonuses: At 1st level, a king or queen of the wild gains a +2 insight bonus on both Wilder- ness Lore checks and checks made with his or her ter- rain-dependent prerequisite skill while in the chosen terrain. Endure Elements (Ex): The king or queen of the wild can ignore some damage from the element associ- ated with the chosen terrain type (see Terrain-Depen- dent Features,  below) as though under a permanent endure elements effect. At 2nd level, the character ignores the first 5 points of damage from that element. (The ter- rain elements correspond to the five energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic.) This amount increases by an additional +5 at 5th, 8th, and 10th level. Terrain Movement (Ex): At 2nd level, if the chosen terrain is land-based, the king or queen of the wild can move overland through it as if it were plains. A king of the sea or a queen of the marsh swims along the surface of water at one-half his or her land speed. Attack Native Creatures (Ex): The king or queen of the wild gains a competence bonus on attack rolls against any creature that has the character’s chosen terrain listed in the  Cli- mate/Terrain section of its statistics.  (In the CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
66 case of a king or queen of the skies, this means any nat- urally flying creature who lives outdoors.) A creature with a listing of “Any land” does not trigger these bonus- es. This bonus is +1 at 3rd level, and it increases by +1 for every two king/queen of the wild levels the character gains thereafter. Terrain Camouflage (Ex): At 3rd level, kings and queens of the wild may use the raw materials of their chosen terrains to conceal their presence from others. This full-round action grants a character a +10 compe- tence bonus on Hide checks in the chosen terrain. Bonus Feat: At 4th and 8th level, a king or queen of the wild may choose a bonus feat from the list for his or her terrain type (see below). This is in addition to the feats that a character of any class normally gets every three levels. The character must still meet any prerequi- sites for these bonus feats. Detect Animals and Plants (Sp): At 6th level, the charac- ter can use detect animals or plants within the chosen ter- rain as a druid of his or her king/queen of the wild level. This ability is usable three times a day. Adaptation (Su): At 7th level, the character can func- tion as if wearing a necklace of adaptation for a total of up to 30 minutes per day. Freedom of Movement (Su): At 10th level, the king/ queen of the wild can function as if under the influence of a freedom of movement spell tor up to 30 minutes. This ability is usable once per day. Terrain-Dependent Features Each of the nine prestige classes derived from king/ queen of the wild has different features depending on the terrain type chosen. King/Queen of the Desert Terrain Type: Desert. Prerequisite Skill: Spot. Terrain Element: Fire. Bonus Feats: Great Fortitude, Mounted Combat, Run, Skill Focus (Spot), Toughness. King/Queen of the Forest Terrain Type: Forest. Prerequisite Skill: Climb. Terrain Element: Fire. Bonus Feats:  Alertness, Brachiation,  Point  Blank Shot, Run, Skill Focus (Climb). King/Queen of the Hills Terrain Type: Hills. Prerequisite Skill: Climb. Terrain Element: Cold. Bonus Feats:  Alertness, Far Shot, Run, Skill Focus (Climb), Toughness. King/Queen of the Marsh Terrain Type: Marsh. Prerequisite Skill: Swim. Terrain Element: Acid. Bonus Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Swim), Toughness. King/Queen of the Mountain Terrain Type: Mountains. Prerequisite Skill: Climb. Terrain Element: Cold. Bonus Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Jump. Skill Focus (Climb), Toughness. King/Queen of the Plains Terrain Type: Plains. Prerequisite Skill: Move Silently. Terrain Element: Electricity. Bonus Feats: Alertness, Far Shot, Point-Blank Shot, Run, Skill Focus (Move Silently). King/Queen of the Sea Terrain Type: Aquatic. Prerequisite Skill: Swim. Terrain Element: Cold. Bonus Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net), Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Swim). King/Queen of the Skies Terrain Type: Air. Prerequisite Skill: Balance. Terrain Element: Electricity. Bonus Feats: Flyby Attack, Hover, Skill Focus (Bal- ance), Snatch, Wingover. King/Queen of the Underground Terrain Type: Underground. Prerequisite Skill: Escape Artist. Terrain Element: Sonic. Bonus Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Extra Turning, Great Fortitude, Toughness. Table 5–13: The King/Queen of the Wild Class Base Fort Ref Will Level   Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 st +1 +2 +0 +2 Terrain skill bonuses 2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Endure elements 5, terrain movement 3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Attack native creatures +1, terrain camouflage 4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Bonus feat 5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Attack native creatures+2, endure elements 10 6th +6 +5 +2 +5 Detect animals or plants 7th +7 +5 +2 +5 Adaptation, attack native creatures +3 8th +8 +6 +2 +6 Bonus feat, endure elements IS 9th +9 +6 +3 +6 Attack native creatures +4 10th +10 +7 +3 +7 Endure elements 20, freedom of movement CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
67 OOZEMASTER Seeping out of every crack and crevice in the dungeon is some foul, monochromatic substance that adventurers wish wasn’t there. Just when they get around the yellow mold, green slime drips from the ceiling. Quite often, such  abominations  well  up  naturally,  but occasionally  they  are  placed  by  a more deliberate hand—that of the oozemaster. The oozemaster is not a class for stable individu- als. It involves relating one-on-one with things  that  relate  to nothing  at  all.  Un- like the animal lord’s  kindred  crea- tures,  the  oozemas- ter’s  charges  have nothing  to  say.  No one  has  yet  devel- oped  a  speak  with ooze  spell—or  if  ., someone  has,  the oozes   haven’t   re- sponded. Given  that oozemasters   exude everything  but  confi- dence,  most  of  them have    few    sentient friends and even few- er guests. Thus, they tend  to  gibber  and talk to them- selves a lot. Characters   of   any spellcasting class can  become  oozemasters, though the class tends to be most  appealing  to  druids, wiz- ards, and—oddly—bards (who usually end up taking an- other direction before this one gets too creepy). Assassins, already masters of poison, find the benefits of this pres- tige class highly compatible with their line of work. Cler- ics, however, had better think about what their followers might say before taking this path. A cleric of Vecna’s fol- lowers might think him clever for becoming an oozemas- ter, while followers of a cleric of Pelor might seek a new spiritual leader. Racially, half-orcs and gnomes are more suited to this class than elves and half-elves, most of whom  consider  themselves  too  refined  for  this basest of prestige classes. The drow, of course, are exceptions, since it was they who created this class in the first place. Certainly, the first ooze- master was a dark elf, though how this magic got out of the subter- ranean depths is a mystery best left unprobed. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To qualify as an oozemas- ter, a character must ful- fill the following criteria. Skills: Alchemy 4 ranks, Swim 4 ranks. Feats: Great Fortitude. Spellcasting: Able to cast 3rd-level  arcane  or  divine spells. Class Skills The oozemasters class skills (and the key ability tor each kill)  are  Alchemy  (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (any) (Int), Dis- guise (Cha), Heal (Wis),  Knowledge  (na- ture)    (Int),    Profession (any) (Wis),  Spellcraft  (Int), Swim     (Str)     and     Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the  Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Table 5–14: The Oozemaster Class Base Fort Ref Will Level    Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special Spells per Day/Spells Known 1st +0 +2 +0 +0 Minor oozy touch 1 2nd +1 +3 +0 +0 Charisma penalty –1,oozy glob   1 /day, +1 level of existing class slithery face 3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Minor oozy touch 2 4th +3 +4 +1 +1 Charisma penalty –2,oozy glob   2/day, +1 level of existing class malleability 5th +3 +4 +1 +1 Major oozy touch 1 6th +4 +5 +2 +2 Charisma penalty –3,oozy glob   3/day, +1 level of existing class indiscernible anatomy 7th +5 +5 +2 +2 Major oozy touch 2 8th +6 +6 +2 +2 Charisma penalty –4,oozy glob   4/day, +1 level of existing class slime wave 9th +6 +6 +3 +3 Major oozy touch 3 10th +7 +7 +3 +3 Charisma penalty –5,oozy glob   5/day, +1 level of existing class one with the ooze CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES
68 Class Features The following are class features of the oozemaster pres- tige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Oozemasters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies. Spells per Day/Spells Known:  At  2nd  level and every other oozemaster level thereafter, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (additional wild shape op- tions, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like). If the character had more than one spellcasting class before be- coming an oozemaster, the player must decide to which class to add each oozemaster level for determining spells per day and spells known. Minor Oozy Touch (Su): At 1st level, the oozemaster’s hands can secrete a specific kind of ooze. Choose one kind of oozy touch from the table below. The character may, as a full attack action, make a melee touch attack that has the effect listed for that kind of ooze on the table below. The oozemaster can use this ability as often as de- sired. At 3rd level, he may choose one additional oozy minor oozy touch. In addition, the oozemaster is immune to the effects of that particular kind of ooze, even in the form of oozy touch attacks from another oozemaster. Thus, an ooze- master with brown mold oozy touch is immune to the effects of all brown mold. This ability confers no special resistance to similar effects that do not stem from the character’s selected kind of ooze, so the aforementioned oozemaster is still subject to cold subdual damage from other sources—such as cold weather. Minor Oozy Touch Options Kind Damage/Effect Brown mold 1d6 + oozemaster level points of cold subdual damage to flesh Cray ooze 1d6 + oozemaster level points of acid damage to flesh, metal, or wood Ochre jelly 1d4 points of stunning damage and 1d4 + oozemaster level points of acid dam- age to flesh only Phosphorescent fungus   Touched area emits a soft violet glow as a light spell until the fungus is wiped off Oozy Glob (Sp): The oozemaster can throw a glob ot the same material as any oozy touch gained at a previous level, with a range increment of 10 feet. This is treated as a grenadelike weapon. He can throw one oozy glob per round. (A character attacks with a grenadelike weapon as a ranged touch attack. Direct hits deal direct hit damage as noted on the table above. All creatures within 5 feet suffer 1 point of  the appropriate splash damage. See Grenadelike Weapon Attacks in Chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbookfor more details.) This ability is usable once per day at 2nd level. Thereafter, the oozemaster gains one ad- ditional use per day of this ability for every two ooze- master levels he acquires. Slithery Face (Su):  At  2nd  level,  the  oozemaster learns to manipulate his facial features, gaining a compe- tence bonus equal to his oozemaster level on Disguise checks. Malleability (Su): At 4th level, the oozemaster can compress his body enough to squeeze through an inch- wide crack. He cannot expand inside a space that offers any resistance, such as an occupied suit of armor. Major Oozy Touch (Su): At 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the oozemaster chooses a kind of major oozy touch from the table below, or from the choices in the Minor Oozy Touch Options table above. This ability is otherwise iden- tical to minor oozy touch (above). Major Oozy Touch Options Kind Damage/Effect Black pudding 2d6 + oozemaster level points of acid dam- age to flesh, metal, wood, or stone Gelatinous cube Fort save (DC 15) or paralyzed for a num- ber of rounds equal to 1d6 + oozemaster level Green slime 1d6 temporary Constitution damage to flesh and 1d6 + oozemaster level points of acid damage to metal or wood Yellow mold 2d4 points of temporary Constitution dam- age to flesh (DC 15 Fort save for half) Indiscernible Anatomy (Su): At 6th level, the ooze- master’s anatomy becomes difficult to discern. Treat all critical hits and sneak attacks against him as though he were wearing armor with the light fortification power. Slime Wav    e (Sp): At 8th level, the oozemaster may use slime wave (see Chapter 6) once per day as the spell cast by a 13th-level druid. One with the Ooze: At 10th level, the oozemaster is as slimy as the creatures he favors. His type changes to ooze tor determining what effects and items can affect him. He gains the Blindsight feat (hearing-based version, see Chapter 2) and becomes immune to flanking, poison, sleep,  paralysis,  stunning, and  all mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). In addition, he is immune to polymorph other, but he retains any shapechanging ability he previ- ously possessed. SHIFTER The shifter has no form that she calls her own. Instead, she clothes herself in whatever shape is most expedient at the time. While others base their identities largely on their external forms, the shifter actually comes closer to her true self through all her transformations. Of neces- sity, her sense ot self is based not on her outward form, but on her soul, which is truly the only constant about her. It is the inner strength of that soul that enables her to take on any shape and remain herself within. At first, the shifter can risk only humanoid forms and familiar animal shapes. As she grows more comfortable with  her own  true  shapelessness, however,  she can assume more outlandish forms. Eventually, she knows herself so well that she feels just as comfortable in the shape ot a completely different creature type as she does in her own. At that point, her past—even her race— becomes irrelevant, since external form no longer mat- ters to her. CHAPTER 5: PRESTIGE CLASSES