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View Full Version : 3.5 The Chosen Savior of Asmodeus [PrC Class]



Xefas
2009-06-23, 03:47 AM
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Many champions of righteousness among the planes forget, or have never known, that the Nine Hells were created as a weapon for good, and have fulfilled this function since their foundation. Unlike the mindless destructive evil of the Abyss, the diabolic powers of Baator are a necessary evil, and it is only by their existence that true goodness may exist. Without consequence, all mortal souls would eventually fall into debauchery. Hell is that consequence.

It is easy, then, to see that there is no shame transitioning from a position of righteousness to one of necessary evil, for they are, in reality, the same thing merely seen from different angles. Souls are saved whether you evangelize the glory of the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, or if you threaten them with the whips and the teeth of the Nine Hells. Souls saved are souls saved. What fool concerns themselves with anything other than a perfect end? A goodly intended means is worthless if the end is failure.

Chosen Saviors of Asmodeus are individuals that serve a higher power, championing their cause of righteousness. Somewhere along the way, however, the corrupting forces of the Nine Hells took notice of them and began to nudge them gently down the path of good-intended evil. As they go, they attain a new patron; the original Morningstar, Asmodeus. Most are unwitting to the change, not realizing until death that their philosophy ever changed. They simply interpret the benefits of the prestige class as a blessing from their deity before learning the truth.

Requirements
Alignment: Lawful Good
Race: Must be native to the Prime Material plane
Deity Must serve a Lawful Good deity
Spellcasting or Maneuvers: Ability to cast 4th level divine spells, or ability to initiate at least one 4th level maneuver of the devoted spirit discipline

Hit Dice d8
Skill Points per level 4 + intelligence modifier
Class Skills Balance, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Martial Lore, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft

Chosen Savior of Asmodeus
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Celestial Apotheosis, A New Code|

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Axiomatic Apotheosis|+1 level of existing spellcasting or initiating class

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Enduring Light|+1 level of existing spellcasting or initiating class

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Infernal Apotheosis|+1 level of existing spellcasting or initiating class

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Diabolical Apotheosis, Noble of Hell|+1 level of existing spellcasting or initiating class[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Chosen Saviors gain proficiency in all martial weapons, but not in any armor or shields.

Spellcasting: At each level except 1st, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level(and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a Chosen Savior, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known(if applicable).

At 1st level, a Chosen Savior must choose to either gain the Spellcasting class feature or the Maneuvers class feature. After this choice has been made, it cannot be changed.

Maneuvers: At each level except 1st, a Chosen Savior gains new maneuvers known from the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, or White Raven disciplines. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full Chosen Savior levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 1st and 4th level, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.
At 5th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, or White Raven disciplines. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

At 1st level, a Chosen Savior must choose to either gain the Spellcasting class feature or the Maneuvers class feature. After this choice has been made, it cannot be changed.

Celestial Apotheosis (Ex): At 1st level, a Chosen Savior becomes more angelic, gaining two shining white, feathery wings that allow them to fly at twice their base land speed with good maneuverability. They also gain the ability to telepathically communicate with any creature within 100 feet and the [Good] subtype.

In addition, a brilliant halo appears over their head that they can ignite or dismiss as a swift action. While ignited, it sheds light as a torch and allows the Chosen Savior to operate as if under a Tongues spell.

A New Code: At 1st level, a Chosen Savior has taken his first step down his fated path. After this, he cannot go back; he can take no levels in any other class until this one is completed or until he becomes a non-lawful alignment and receives an atonement spell, in which case he loses all class features from this class. If he ever becomes lawful again, he must continue taking levels in this class as he continues to be tempted.

Any code of conduct, deific tenets, or similar become unimportant, as all spellcasting, maneuver granting, and class features are now granted by Asmodeus and not their original source. To the Chosen Savior, nothing will appear to have changed.

Axiomatic Apotheosis (Ex): At 2nd level, a Chosen Savior becomes more perfect, his body no longer requiring to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. They are now immune to poison and can see perfectly in mundane darkness as well as magical darkness. In addition, he now has the [Lawful] subtype.

The manipulations of his fiendish patron have now pushed him towards Lawful Neutral. Retribution and Punishment are the basis of all law, and by extension, all good. The Chosen Savior may now act Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral while still qualifying for this prestige class.

Enduring Light (Ex): At 3rd level, a Chosen Savior becomes more resilient to physical harm. He gains Resistance 10 to Fire, Cold, and Acid, and is constantly effected as if by an endure elements spell.

In addition, while his halo is ignited, all creatures of the Chosen Savior’s choice within 20 feet are effected as if by an endure elements spell as well, and every round he spends while in the area of a spell of magical darkness with his halo ignited, he may make an attempt to dispel that darkness as if his halo were a spell with the light descriptor of a level equal to 1/2 his character level and a caster level equal to his character level.

Infernal Apotheosis (Ex): At 4th level, a Chosen Savior becomes more powerful, gaining a devil’s signature immunity to fire. In addition, he now has the [Evil] subtype, and may manipulate his apparent alignment. At any point, he is treated as any combination of Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, or Lawful Evil, whichever is more advantageous at the time. When an effect would attempt to discern his alignment, he is aware of the attempt and may choose to appear as Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, or Lawful Evil.

The forces of Hell have continued their subtle suggestions and have pushed the Chosen Savior towards Lawful Evil. Mercy is something the guilty forfeited when they chose to do wrong. A weak hand leads to a society plagued with sin, and only an iron fist can bring it back in line. You are divinely mandated to be that fist, for the good of all. You must blacken your soul so that others may remain pure. It is the most righteous sacrifice of all. The Chosen Savior may now act Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, or Lawful Evil while still qualifying for this prestige class.

Diabolical Apotheosis (Ex): At 5th level, a Chosen Savior becomes a devil, and is considered one for the purposes of all spells and effects. His type changes to Outsider (Extraplanar) and his home plane becomes the Nine Hells of Baator. He is, however, a specially groomed ambassador to the Prime Material plane and enjoys a few perks. Should he die, his soul takes its place within Fortress Nessus, Asmodeus’ citadel within Nessus, the Ninth Hell. From there, he may be resurrected as a normal mortal as long as the ones attempting to resurrect him are currently on the Prime Material plane, thus circumventing the normal rule of an Outsider being unable to be resurrected.

Noble of Hell: At 5th level, the Savior enjoys minor status within the Hells, gaining a relatively small plot of land on the layer of his choice, with an estate maintained by (Character Level + Charisma Modifier) petitioners who serve as slaves to the Chosen Savior. Once per day per point of charisma modifier (minimum one), the Chosen Savior may Plane Shift between his estate and the Prime Material in either direction as a standard action Spell-like Ability.

Finally, as a devil of not-insignificant power, a Chosen Savior gains the ability to use Greater Teleport as a spell-like ability at-will as a standard action. He may only teleport himself, along with one item occupying each of his item slots, and an additional 50 pounds of items.

DracoDei
2009-06-23, 07:34 AM
Very interesting class. I like it, and am impressed with the catch about including slotted items in the teleportation ability.

Depending on setting/campaign specific rulings about how much you remember of your time spent dead, the first time they die after reaching class level 4 they are going to know something is up. I can see a lot of good roleplaying out of a (still LG) paladin after this discovery (done badly you end up with a terrible rip-off of Ghost Rider or Spawn... done right? Character arc GOLD)... I can also see him transporting his assigned petitioners to the material plane, and from thence to one of the Celestial realms ASAP, and then proceeding to use his lands as a base of operations for a (small) second front of the blood war... much like the French Resistance in WWII perhaps.

The Neoclassic
2009-07-28, 06:18 PM
(If this is only a month old, this doesn't count as necromancy, right?)

Fantastically interesting concept. I very much like the fluff. I actually might be interested in using an adapted version of this for my campaign world if you were OK with it.

I'm not all that great with balancing or crunch, but I do have a few suggestions/questions:

You state that becoming non-lawful is the only way to escape this prestige class once begun. So, one could not get an atonement spell unless one became non-lawful? It seems like there should possibly be a way around this (as far as remaining LG but leaving the class), though I understand it should be very difficult.

Just in terms of numbers, it looks like the class is mildly overpowered, though I suppose the impact it'd have on one's alignment and such might balance that out in a way. There's just a lot of very useful spell-like abilities on top of (4/5) spellcasting levels, better skill points than a cleric, and BAB & saves & HD just as good as a cleric.