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View Full Version : Demon Hunter - A prestige class



SolusTempus
2006-03-04, 04:26 PM
This is a prestige class I thought up a while back. A bit of a one-trick pony, but it is excelent at what it does.

Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter is a general term for those who specialize in fighting evil outsiders. They are always good aligned rangers, and often have levels in cleric. They prefer the company of good aligned people, particularly clerics. Being Rangers they tend to have a chaotic leaning, and as such often find themselves in conflict with them over method. Demon hunters fight evil in general, but with particular zeal against outsiders. They are rarely organized in specific groups, though they often work alongside clerics and paladins.
Requires
Favored Enemy – Evil Outsider
Base Attack Bonus - +5
Alignment – Any Good
Skills - Knowledge (Religion) 5 ranks
Knowledge (The Planes) 5 ranks
Able to cast First level Divine Spells
Hit Die - D10

http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/9929/dhchart1on.jpg

Skills: (4+int modifier)
Class Skills: (climb, Craft, Hide, Heal, Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Survival, Search, spell craft, Spot, swim)

Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Demon Hunters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Aura (ex): Demon Hunters have a powerful good aura.

Additional Favored Enemy (su) – At 5th and 10th level Demon Hunters gain an additional favored enemy.

Detect Evil (sp): Demon Hunters can detect evil at will as a free action.

Favored Enemy Bonuses stack against evil outsiders (ex) – When more than one favored enemy type would apply to an evil outsider instead of taking the better of the two modifiers the Demon Hunter instead adds the modifiers.

Improved Critical against evil outsiders (su): Double the Critical Threat range on attacks against evil outsiders, this stacks with other Critical Threat range enhancing effects.

Lay On Hands (su) – Demon Hunters at 4th level get lay on hands like a paladin has where the HP recovery max per day equals the Demon Hunter's wisdom modifier times his or her Demon Hunter level plus his or her ranger level. (Example - Aurelia is a 10th level Ranger and 4th level Demon Hunter. She has 16 wisdom (a +3 modifier). Her total lay on hands would be 22 ((4*3(which is 12))+10)

Vorpal for non-slashing weapons (su) – At 10th level a Demon hunter may have any of their attacks have the vorpal effect on an evil outsider on a natural 20, not just slashing weapons.

Vorpal vs Evil Outsiders (su) – At 9th level all of a demon hunters slashing weapons are considered to have the Vorpal enchantment when used against evil outsiders, this is optional (you may deal normal Critical damage instead).

+1 divine caster level – Every even level a Demon Hunter may cast spells like they gained a level in their divine spell casting classes. They do not gain any other class abilities. (Example – Tiberius Urban, a 2nd level cleric and 3rd level ranger achieves 2nd level Demon hunter and can now cast like a 3rd level cleric and 4th level ranger)

+1 effective level for animal companion - Every even level a Demon Hunter is considered one level higher in his or her ranger (and druid if he or she has levels in druid) for the sake of their bonus (and attainment of) to their animal companion. (Example – Tiberius Urban at second level of Demon Hunter becomes considered a 4th level ranger for the purposes of animal companionship, and as such gains an animal companion like a 4th level ranger.)

+1 Critical threat range vs evil outsiders (su) – at 7th level a Demon Hunter's Critical threat range is increased by 1 against evil outsiders, this bonus is calculated in after other bonuses (Example: Miles Gloriosus has the improved Critical feat and is wielding a kukri and is attacking a Balor his improved Critical feat makes his Critical range 16-20, his improved Critical vs evil outsiders increases that to 14-20, and then the +1 to Critical range applies making it 13-20)

+1 to Critical damage modifier vs evil outsiders (su) – at 8th level the damage modifier on a critical hit vs evil outsiders is increased by 1 (a 2x becomes 3x, 3x becomes 4x, and 4x becomes 5x)

Umbral_Arcanist
2006-03-04, 04:54 PM
Hmmm, looks ok, maybe a little overpowered, but its also very very narrow, safe to say demons would become a joke....

Also since the bonusess are not specific to just demons "fiend hunter" maybe more apropo. Also check out the CW for the kinght of the chalice which does the same thing....

TimeWizard
2006-03-04, 06:05 PM
i like the idea, however, I expect it to only be applied to Npcs, as a PC would find it to specialized unless it was the main theme of the campaign. And if it was the main theme of the campaign, it'd may be a bit to powerful.

It reminds me of one of my favorite classes, the Hunter of the Dead, in CD. but again, it is a bit too specific for everyday use.

The HotD has an ability i love called True death ( i beleive). Which states that anyone slain by a HotD can not come back from death ever. Ever think about giving the Demon Hunter a banishing type move for level 10? You're standard 10 level PrC has a special 10th level ability thats real powerful/useful. Besides, Vorpal (non-slashing) seems kind of pointless. I mean, you've had vorpal on slashing weapons for a few levels, why both switching? especially since most characters would probably have taken Weapon Focus in some slashing weapon anyway. So why not make that ability Vorpal (any weapon), and then shoot for a power finisher at 10?

P.s. Good work.

AmoDman
2006-03-04, 07:32 PM
It annoys me how limited to Rangers it is. It just doesn't fit, IMO, that only Rangers would be the Demon Hunters. Seems to me like a Figher/Cleric of some sort should be able to jump into it too, if they like. Just my 2 cents.

The Glyphstone
2006-03-04, 07:44 PM
The HotD has an ability i love called True death ( i beleive). Which states that anyone slain by a HotD can not come back from death ever.

Hunter of the Dead is actually in CW, and it doesn't work like that. What it does it prevent undead destroyed from ever being re-animated as undead again - good for vampires, liches, and such. Doesn't stop raise dead or such things.

SolusTempus
2006-03-04, 08:04 PM
Thanks for comments and suggestions. How about these for changes

Requirements: Knowledge (Religion) and (Planes) 5 ranks, Able to cast 1st level Divine spells, Good Alignment, BAB +5

Make the 9th level Vorpal ability good for any weapon

Replace Vorpal (any) at level 10 with Banishing strike.

Banishing Strike - Once per round as a full attack action the Demon Hunter may attempt to strike an Evil Outsider with a Banishing strike. When hit with a weapon on a banishing strike the Evil Outsider must after taking damage make a will save equal to the damage dealt or be returned to their home plane and not be able to return to the plane the Demon Hunter is on as long as the demon hunter is alive. If the E.O. makes the will save (or is on it's plane of origin) it then takes an additional 2D10 + the demon hunter's Charisma modifier in Holy damage. This may only be attempted once ever per E.O.

Aditionally, instead of giving the Demon Hunter +1 to animal compantion level give it an animal compation with the Celestial template at level one and have the animal compnion advance every level like a druid's companion. Have Ranger/Druid levels stack with this.

Give Favored Enemy Evil Outsider at first level, if this is already possessed give a bonus feat.

Umbral_Arcanist
2006-03-04, 09:36 PM
I like the changes, also aside form the knight of the chalice and hunter of the dead in the CW you may want to look at the mortal hunter in BOVD for inspiration.

Maybe replace the vorpal stuff with a slaying ability that doesn't cut off their head but does something else (maybe a death effect or just alot of damage) on a crit that is more thematic

Altough the crit chance increasing thing is kinda broken...... using a scythe or something could make that nasty (assuming the campaign is fiend heavy enough to warrent levels in this class...

Maryring
2006-03-05, 02:31 PM
The BoED mays be good for this one. How about having Nemesis as a requirement? An Exalted Feat should add a lot of flavour to this class.

pocketwatch
2006-03-05, 02:31 PM
Have you looked at the prestige class Incantatrix? Similar purpose, but for wizards. This looks like a cool companion class.