The Avowed [3.5 Base Class] and Undead Hunting Feats [PEACH]

[Amiel]

AVOWED

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs44/f/2009/073/f/4/Wizard_Assassin_Fullbody_by_artbycarlos.jpg


"I have been Roland, Beowulf, Achilles, Gilgamesh. I have been called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the world goes dim and cold. I am Hero." - An avowed

To many, the undead are viewed as abominations; vile mockeries of life and an insult to the natural order of things. Despite this, not much is done in ridding this scourge. Due to either fear and cowardice or neglect and adaptability, the undead are left to their own devices, free to propagate and thrive. Enter the Avowed. Marked from birth to lead the good fight against the undead, she combines the purity of the paladin with the tenacity of law to undo the vile machinations of the undead. She may be the daughter of poverty-stricken peasants tilling the field or a noble scion brought up on wealth, no matter what she is, her fate is always predestined.

Alignment: Any lawful.
Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills
The Avowed's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

The Avowed
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special|1st|2nd|3rd|4th
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|1st favored enemy (undead), detect undead, marked from birth, Sacred Vow|—|—|—|—
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Nemesis (undead)|—|—|—|—
3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Divine health|—|—|—|—
4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Turn undead, Vow of Purity|0|—|—|—
5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|2nd favored enemy (undead), Vow of Abstinence|0|—|—|—
6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Undeadwrack (+2d6/1d6)|1|—|—|—
7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Vow of Chastity|1|—|—|—
8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+6|Undead Hunter|1|0|—|—
9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+6|Evasion|1|0|—|—
10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+7|3rd favored enemy (undead), undeadwrack (+3d6/1d6)|1|1|—|—
11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+7|Undead Foe|1|1|0|—
12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Undead Bane I|1|1|1|—
13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Undead Bane II|1|1|1|—
14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+9|Undeadwrack (+4d6/2d6)|2|1|1|0
15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+9|4th favored enemy (undead)|2|1|1|1
16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Undead Bane III|2|2|1|1
17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Hide from undead|2|2|2|1
18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Undeadwrack (+5d6/2d6)|3|2|2|1
19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|Undead Doom|3|3|3|2
20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|5th favored enemy (undead)|3|3|3|3[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the avowed.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An avowed is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, an avowed may select a type of creature from among those given on Table: Avowed Favored Enemies. The avowed gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against undead. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the avowed may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.

Table: Avowed Favored Enemies
{table=head]Type (Subtype)|Type (Subtype)
Undead (wraiths, shadows)|Undead (ghost)|
Undead (vampire)|Undead (death knight)|
Undead (lich)|Undead (risen dead, ghouls)|[/table]

Detect Undead (Sp): At will, an avowed can use detect undead, as the spell.

Marked From Birth (Ex): An avowed is not made, she is born. To this end, adventurers do not choose to become avowed, they are prophesied from birth.

Sacred Vow: An avowed gains Sacred Vow as a bonus feat.

Nemesis: An avowed gains Nemesis (undead) as a bonus feat.

Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, an avowed gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Turn Undead (Su): When an avowed reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would.

Vow of Purity: An avowed gains Vow of Purity as a bonus feat.

Vow of Abstinence: An avowed gains Vow of Abstinence as a bonus feat.

Undeadwrack (Su): Undead that strike an avowed or are struck by her suffer grievous wounds, at 6th level, an avowed deals +2d6 points of damage with each successful melee attack made against undead. Furthermore, any such creature that strikes the avowed with a natural weapon or melee weapon takes 1d6 points of damage. In both cases, half of the extra damage is permanent hit point drain. An undead that survives a battle against an avowed often bears terrible scars from the permanent drain of hit points. Only a wish or miracle spell can restore hit points drained permanently by an avowed’s undeadwrack ability.
At 10th level, the avowed deals +3d6 points of damage to undead, and an undead that strikes the avowed takes 1d6 points of damage. Again in both cases, half of this damage is permanent drain. At 14th level, the damage increases to +4d6 points and 2d6 points respectively.

Vow of Chastity: An avowed gains Vow of Chastity as a bonus feat.

Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, an avowed can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the avowed is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless avowed does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Undead Hunter: An avowed gains Undead Hunter as a bonus feat.

Undead Foe: An avowed gains Undead Foe as a bonus feat.

Undead Bane: An avowed gains Undead Bane as a bonus feat. At 13th level, the avowed gains a +5 bonus on the attack roll and such attacks deal an extra 1d6 points of damage in addition to the damage given. At 16th level, the avowed gains a +6 bonus on attack rolls and such attacks deal an extra 2d6 points of damage in addition to the damage given.

Hide from Undead (Su): 3/day, the avowed may cloak herself or any allies within the protective ward of a hide from undead spell.

Undead Bane: An avowed gains Undead Bane as a bonus feat.

Spells: Beginning at 4th level, an avowed gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the avowed spell list. An avowed must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, an avowed must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an avowed's spell is 10 + the spell level + the avowed's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, an avowed can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Avowed. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Avowed indicates that the avowed gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level. The avowed does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
An avowed prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. An avowed may prepare and cast any spell on the avowed spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, an avowed has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is one-half her avowed level.



UNDEAD HUNTER [GENERAL]

You have made a special study of undead and know how to defend against an undead's attacks.
Prerequisites: Wis 13.
Benefit: You gain a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks made by undead and a +2 competence bonus on saving throws against the spells, attacks, and special abilities of undead. Likewise you gain a +2 competence bonus on any opposed check (such as a bull rush attempt or a grapple check) you make against undead.

UNDEADBANE [GENERAL]

You have made a special study of undead and are adept at pulling off deliberate attacks that take advantage of an undead's weak spots.
Prerequisites: Int 13, Undeadfoe, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: You may use a full-round action to make a single attack (melee or ranged) against an undead with a +4 bonus on the attack roll. Such an attack deals an extra 2d6 points of damage if it hits. For a ranged attack, the undead must be within 30 feet to gain the bonus to hit and extra damage.

UNDEADDOOM [GENERAL]

You have learned how to place blows against an undead that deal tremendous damage.
Prerequisites: Int 13, Undeadbane, Undeadfoe, base attack bonus +10.
Benefit: When you attack an undead, you gain the following critical hit multipliers per the individual weapon type and the undead are subject to critical hits.
Special: The bonus on the attack roll and the extra damage stack with the benefits provided by a weapon with the bane (undead) special ability.
In the case of a critical hit, the extra damage dice aren't multiplied.

UNDEADFOE [GENERAL]

You have learned how to attack undead more effectively that most other individuals.
Prerequisites: Int 13.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against undead and a +2 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome an undead's spell resistance. Also, undead take a –2 penalty on saving throws against your spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.

—————
Vows lose the Exalted descriptor; however, they remain limitations; stipulating that one cannot drink to excess (indeed one cannot touch alcohol entirely), cannot engage in sexual intercourse, cannot touch dead flesh.

This class can easily be easily altered to hunt evil outsiders, aberrations et al.

[Melayl]

Not bad. It sure doesn't seem overpowered, unless your campaign world really focuses on undead, and it probably wouldn't be overpowered then, either.

It is more focused than even the ranger (in terms of enemies it is effective against).

If I were to use it, I would probably drop the "must be predestined" clause, and allow anyone to enter, but that's just me.

I'm also not a big fan of the "Vow" feats. You don't seem to get a lot of benefit for the restrictions.

Nice class, though. Well thought out and with good fluff/crunch synergy.

[Sir_Chivalry]

[B]Vow of Purity: An avowed gains Vow of Purity as a bonus feat.

Vows lose the Exalted descriptor; however, they remain limitations; stipulating that one cannot drink to excess (indeed one cannot touch alcohol entirely), cannot engage in sexual intercourse, cannot touch dead flesh.

This class can easily be easily altered to hunt evil outsiders, aberrations et al.

Only problem is that the class LOSES access to Vow of Purity until it cleanses itself with holy water just by doing its main thing. Someone with Vow of Purity can't fight undead without temporarily losing the bonus against disease and negative energy.

Either place some immunity to that clause, or your class is like a fighter who breaks his weapon everytime he swings it.

[Chronologist]

I like the class, but it's ridiculously focused. There are NO class features that help against anything besides undead, aside from the Vow feats. Unless the campaign features Undead as enemies at least 1/2 the time, this class is severely underpowered.

Here are my recommendations
1. Reduce the potency of most of the abilities.
2. Expand the types of enemies from merely Undead to also include Elementals, Outsiders, Abberations, and Magical Beasts (like the Archivist's Dark Knowledge class feature). Expand the favored enemies to these 5 types, and merge all the forms of Undead into one creature type.
3. Give the class full base attack bonus and d10 hit dice. This will give them greater staying power and make them viable against enemies not of the 5 types.

I really like the concept behind the class, and I think if it was rounded out a bit more it would be really fun and balanced.

[Melayl]

I like the class, but it's ridiculously focused. There are NO class features that help against anything besides undead, aside from the Vow feats. Unless the campaign features Undead as enemies at least 1/2 the time, this class is severely underpowered. I could be wrong, but I thought the strict focus was the point of the class. Yes, it would definitely be weaker in a campaign without a lot of undead, but I would assume that it was made for campaigns with alot of undead (it'd be great in Ravenloft).


3. Give the class full base attack bonus and d10 hit dice. This will give them greater staying power This I would agree with.

[Chronologist]

Originally posted by Melayl
I could be wrong, but I thought the strict focus was the point of the class. Yes, it would definitely be weaker in a campaign without a lot of undead, but I would assume that it was made for campaigns with alot of undead (it'd be great in Ravenloft)

I don't know about you, but I see base classes as a broad starting point for characters. The core 11 base classes (and many of the supplementary base classes) are very flexible, allowing for many different methods of playing them. Even Paladins, which I consider the most restrictive base class, can do many things; they can be mounted warriors, sword-and-board defenders, fearless strikers, they can even be archers. They can fight evil in many ways. Then, Paladins (and other classes) can take prestige classes to specialize in their favored combat style and enemy.

The Avowed class is very restrictive. You dedicate yourself to killing one and only one type of enemy. There's no flexibility. To me, this looks like less like a base class, and more like a prestige class for fighters, paladins, and rangers.

If the point of the class is to be extremely focused, and to be played only in an undead-heavy campaign, then the class is great and I have no more comments. If it is designed for regular play it is, unfortunately, too restrictive.

[JoshuaZ]

Where is the spell list? I see spellcasting but I don't see the list.

Also regarding Undeadwrack, I think that the undead should be allowed a save against taking the permanent damage. Maybe make it a fortitude save and make it an exception to the usual rule that undead can't be effected by fort effects.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

JoshuaZ's got a point; I still don't see a spell list. You could easily grab the Paladin spell list and simply use that. It would suit the class fine.
I agree with Chronologist. The class is focused to a flaw. I think the flavour is well added and the structuring of the class is superb. However, the strength of the class is also it's key weakness: phenominal depth, no breadth.
Because I think this class good and well made, I would recomend it as a PrC. There is already an insance number of undead combating PrC out there, but the same could be said for just about every niche PrC, and the Avowed would still be a welcomed addition.
It could also work as a Fighter, Ranger or Paladin variant.
Regardless of what has been said, I doubt an increase in HP or BAB is necessary. With no empty levels, minor spellcasting abilities, solid saves, I think it is fine as is.