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View Full Version : The Blackguard, an unholy warrior! (3.5, PEACH)



Trodon
2013-04-16, 03:58 PM
Okay, my re-make of the blackguard class for my setting, please PEACH.


Blackguard

Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any Evil.
Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Skills: Intimidate 4 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 4 ranks.
Feats: Power Attack, Cleave.

Class Skills: The blackguard’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty, Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points At Each Level: 4+ Int modifier.

Hit Dice: D10.

Blackguard
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Corrupt Warrior, Spells, Smite Good

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Dark Blessing

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Sneak Attack +1d6

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Aura of Despair

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Evil Servant

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Sneak Attack +2d6

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Call Unholy Beast

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Improved Evil Servant

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Sneak Attack +1d6

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Avatar of Evil[/table]

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Blackguard gains no proficiency with any armor or weapon.

Corrupt Warrior: A blackguard is a warrior for evil, whether he has a specific set of goals or just for the sake of evil, the blackguard is not a person to be trifled with. At 1st level the blackguard gains a few abilities:
The blackguard’s aura of evil is equal to that of a cleric of an evil deity with class levels equal to the blackguard’s character level.
The blackguard may cast detect good at will, with a caster level equal to the blackguard’s class level.
The blackguard may demoralize an opponent (see the intimidate skill, page 76 of the player’s handbook) as a move action instead of a standard action.

Spells: A blackguard has the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. These spells are drawn from the blackguard spells list (identical to the standard blackguard spell list). To cast a spell a blackguard must have a charisma of 10+ the spell’s level, a charisma of 11 or higher is required to cast any spells at all, and a charisma of 14 is required to cast the most powerful blackguard spells. A blackguard has access to all of the spells on his spell list, and must prepare spells like a cleric, the blackguard may not lose a prepared spell in order to spontaneously cast a cure or an inflict spell. A blackguard has spells per day (not including bonus spells for having a high charisma) on the following table.

{TABLE=HEAD]Class Level|1st Level|2nd Level|3rd Level|4th Level
1st|0|-|-|-
2nd|1|-|-|-
3rd|2|0|-|-
4th|2|1|-|-
5th|3|2|0|-
6th|3|2|1|-
7th|3|3|2|0
8th|3|3|2|1
9th|3|3|3|2
10th|3|3|3|3[/TABLE]

Smite Good (Su): The blackguard gains the ability to smite good a number of times per encounter equal to 1/two class levels (minimum 1). When smiting, the blackguard adds his charisma modifier (if positive) as a divine bonus to his attack roll and twice his class level as a divine bonus to his damage roll against good creatures.

Dark Blessing (Su): The blackguard gains his charisma modifier (if positive) as a profane bonus to all saving throws. In addition, he keeps a pool of negative energy stored inside of his body, this pool is equal to twice his class level times his charisma modifier. The blackguard may spend these points as a standard action to either heal himself for the same amount of points he spends, or harm one living opponent for the same amount with a melee touch attack.

Sneak Attack (Ex): The blackguard gains the sneak attack ability identical to the rogue ability of the same name, the sneak attack damage is +1d6 at level 3, then increases by 1d6 at levels 6 and 9.

Aura of Despair (Su): The blackguard radiates an aura that inflicts a -2 penalty to all saving throws to every enemy within 10ft.

Evil Servant (Su): The blackguard gains the services of a floating skull (see below), an imp, or a quasit. This is a faithful and loyal servant to the blackguard and gains bonuses according to the blackguard’s level and the table below.

Evil Servant
{table=head]Character Level|Bonus HD|Natural Armor Adj.|Strength Adj.|Special

12th or lower|
+2|
+1|
+1|
Emphatic link, improved evasion, share saving throws, share spell

2nd|
+4|
+3|
+2|
Speak with blackguard

3rd|
+6|
+5|
+3|
Blood bond

4th|
+8|
+7|
+4|
Spell resistance[/table]

Character Level: The character level of the blackguard (his blackguard level plus his original class level).
Bonus HD: Extra Hit Dice of the creature’s type, each of which gains a Constitution modifier (except for the floating skull, see below), as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the servant’s base attack and base save bonuses, as normal.
Natural Armor Adj.: This is an improvement to the servant’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str Adj.: Add this figure to the servant’s Strength score.

Call Unholy Beast: The blackguard may, once per day, call forth a creature to aid him in combat. This creature must either have the undead type, or be an outsider with the (evil) subtype. Regardless of what the creature’s type is, its challenge rating may be no more than the blackguard’s character level minus 2. This is a conjuration (calling) effect, with a caster level equal to the blackguard’s character level, and lasts 1 round/class level. The blackguard may dismiss the called creature with an immediate action.

Improved Evil Servant: The blackguard may exchange his current servant for a more powerful one. If the blackguard wishes his old servant leaves and a new one takes its place, the blackguard may choose between a Babau (monster manual page 40), a Cinderspawn (libris mortis page 91), or a Pain Devil (fiendish codex 2 page 132). These creatures gain all the bonuses from your blackguard levels (see above) to their fullest extent.

If the DM allows, the player may substitute any of the above three choices for any other challenge rating 6 undead or outsider with the (evil) subtype.

Avatar of Evil: The blackguard has become an avatar of evil. The blackguard’s type changed to Outsider (Evil) if it wasn’t already, and gains DR 10/good and magic, and stops aging, penalties from aging never occur, but bonuses do. In addition, the blackguard may add his charisma modifier as a profane bonus to attacks, weapon damage rolls, and armor class.


Fallen Paladins
Blackguards who have levels in the paladin class (that is to say, are now ex-paladins) gain extra abilities the more levels of paladin they trade in upon becoming a blackguard (the same way an 11th level or higher paladin may trade levels of paladin for the standard blackguard class).
A fallen paladin who becomes a blackguard gains all of the following abilities that apply, according to the number of paladin levels the character trades in. For example: a 2nd level fighter/4th level paladin falls, levels up and becomes a blackguard, if the player trades all 4 of his paladin levels for four blackguard levels (effectively becoming a 2nd level fighter/5th level blackguard) he gains both of the abilities for levels 1-3 and 4-6.

1-3 Command Undead: When a paladin trades in any number of paladin levels for blackguard levels, the blackguard gains the ability to command and rebuke undead as a cleric equal to his character level.

4-6 Fiendish Mount: By trading in four or more paladin levels, the blackguard gains a fiendish mount. This follows all the normal rules for paladin mounts, except that the mount gains the fiendish template. If the paladin already had a special mount the paladin’s corruption spreads to it, the paladin’s mount gains the fiendish type and changes its alignment to match the new blackguard’s.

7-9 Safe Travel: By trading in seven or more paladin levels, the blackguard gains Plane Shift as a spell-like ability useable once per day.

10 Favored of the dark Gods: Paladins of this strength that fall often become great generals in fiendish armies, tyrannical kings, and in some cases, evil gods. By trading in ten levels of paladin the new blackguard gains a second use of his Plane Shift spell-like ability, in addition to a magical item from one of the evil deities themselves. This item could be anything of use, such as an Unholy Avenger (simply an evil version of the Holy Avenger weapon found in the DMG), or it could be a suit of Demon Armor, or any item the DM wishes. In some rare cases an evil god has given an ancient artifact to one destined for great things.

The character level of the character does not change.

Floating Skull
Diminutive Undead
HD: 3d12+9 (28).
Speed: 0 ft. (0 squares); Fly 60ft (Perfect).
Init: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 improved initiative).
AC: 21; touch 17; flat-footed 18
(+4 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural).
BAB/Grapple: +1/-13.
Attack: Negative ray +8 ranged (1d6 negative energy, 20/X2 60ft).
Space: 1 ft. by 1ft; Reach: 0 ft.
Special Attacks: Negative ray.
Special Qualities: Undead traits, unholy toughness, spell-like abilities.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4 Will +5.
Abilities: Str 6 -2, Dex 16 +3, Con -, Int 10 +0, Wis 14 +2, Cha 16 +3
Skills: Hide +21, Move Silently +9,
Feats: Improved Initiative, great fortitude.
Environment:
Organization: Solitary, servant (skull plus 5th-7th level blackguard).
Challenge Rating: 3.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Always neutral evil.
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Diminutive), 7-11 HD (Tiny).

Note: The stats here are for a standard floating skull, before the added benefits from blackguard levels.

Combat
Negative Ray: At will as a standard action the floating skull may shoot a ray of negative energy at a target for 1d6 negative energy damage.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will: Detect Good, Detect Magic, and Darkness. 1/day: Invisibility (self only). Caster level equals HD, charisma casting stat.

Unholy Toughness: The floating skull uses its charisma modifier as a bonus to hit points, just like a living creature uses constitution.

Sho
2013-04-17, 03:34 PM
It's limited by spell slots. Give it more spell slots. Try the Assassin spell slot progression.

{TABLE=HEAD]Class Level|1st Level|2nd Level|3rd Level|4th Level
1st|0|-|-|-
2nd|1|-|-|-
3rd|2|0|-|-
4th|2|1|-|-
5th|3|2|0|-
6th|3|2|1|-
7th|3|3|2|0
8th|3|3|2|1
9th|3|3|3|2
10th|3|3|3|3[/TABLE]

The rest of the chassis seems the same as the original Blackguard prestige class with a little more thrown in haphazardly.

Avatar of Evil, if still a 10th level capstone, still is too good a bonus to several things and is uninteresting.

Trodon
2013-04-17, 05:31 PM
Thank you for your reply and being honest, it is what I need for my homebrew to eventually be usable.

As for Avatar of Evil, is there anything you could suggest to replace it?