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Ultimate_Coffee
2013-08-13, 09:29 AM
Hello everybody at GiantITP!
In 3.5 I always loved the idea of the Death Delver... But no 9 lives until level 10, and no real useful abilities up until then? It just didn't work as a prestige class if you ask me...
All in all however, the most notable flaw with the PrC was that there was no good way to enter it... It didn't have the skills for a Rogue to take it, it didn't have the BAB for a Fighter to take it, and it had it's own spellcasting list rather than increasing an existing one, so spellcasters couldn't take it...
My revision for Pathfinder amps up its ability to twart death a bit, and it changes spellcasting to increase an existing class.

Death Delver
The death delver is that rare individual, who, rather than fearing and avoiding death, delves as deeply into its mysteries as he can, to better understand and eventually gain some small power over it.
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks
Saving Throws: Base Will Save +2
Special: Must have had at least one near-death experience (fallen below 0 hit points and lived)
Class Features
Hit die: d8
Skill Points per level: 2 + Intelligence modifier
Class Skills
Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int)
Spellcasting
At the indicated levels, a death delver gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a death delver, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Death delvers must spend 1 hour each night in the contemplation of death to regain their daily allotments of spells. Time spent resting has no impact on whether death delvers can prepare spells.
Deathsense (Ex)
You have the infallible ability to detect the presence and condition of nearby life. This ability functions as the spell deathwatch but can be invoked at will, with no cost, as a swift action.
Easy Recovery (Ex)
You know many dark secrets about death and have learned to cheat it more easily. The cost to cheat death using hero points is reduced to one.
Deadened Soul (Ex)
Upon reaching 2nd level, your understanding of death has progressed to the point where you no longer fear it, nor anything else. You are immune to fear effects of any kind.
Death Ward (Su)
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to mystically protect yourself or another from the depredations of death magic and life-draining attacks once per day. This supernatural ability functions exactly like the spell death ward, save that the duration is 1 hour per death delver level. Using this ability is a standard action.
You gain an additional use of this ability per day upon reaching 6th level, and again at 9th level.
Diehard
Death delvers of at least 4th level gain the benefit of the Diehard feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites.
Avoid Death (Ex)
Beginning at 4th level, you gain the ability to slip out of deaths grasp one time per day. Once per day, any effect that would kill you due to hit point damage instead reduces you to -1 hit point and leaves you in a stable condition but unconscious. Effects that kill you without reducing your hit points (such as death effects or disintegrate) function normally.
You gain an additional use of this ability per day upon reaching 8th level.
Fear Aura (Su)
Starting at 5th level, once per day you can emanate a nearly palpable aura of fear in a 30-foot radius. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your class level. Enemies (not allies) within the area must make a Will save (DC 10 + class level + your Cha modifier) or be affected as if by a fear spell.
Cheat Death (Ex)
Upon reaching 7th level, your mastery over death and dying has progressed to the point where you can deny a foe the ability to send you into death's embrace in a single, cowardly blow. Whenever anyone attempts a coup de grace on you, you automatically make the subsequent Fortitude save. The attacker still deals just as much damage as she normally would, and you could still die from that damage. Similarly, when you take massive damage (50 or more points of damage from a single attack), you automatically succeed on the Fortitude save to survive the associated trauma, although you can be killed by sheer damage dealt.
Mantle of Life (Su)
Beginning at 8th level, you gain the ability to project your own wisdom and confidence into your allies. As a full-round action, you can send a surge of vitality through all companions within 60 feet. This surge grants every ally in the area (including yourself) a +4 bonus on Will saves for 1 minute per class level.
Nine Lives (Ex)
The pinnacle of achievement for a death delver is the remarkable ability to step back through death's door when forcibly pushed through it. Upon reaching 10th level, you gain the ability to cheat death nine times—in effect, gaining nine bonus lives. Every time a single attack, spell, or effect would kill you, you lose one of your nine lives in lieu of taking the effects of whatever would have killed you; instead you drop to —1 hit points but are stable. Continuing sources of damage, such as being dropped into lava or held under water, will of course burn through a character's nine lives in no time. Keep track of how many lives you've used; because once they're gone, they're gone.

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +1 +0 +1 Deathsense, Easy Recovery —
2nd +1 +1 +1 +1 Deadened Soul +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd +2 +2 +1 +2 Death Ward 1/day +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th +3 +2 +1 +2 Diehard, Avoid Death 1/day +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th +3 +3 +2 +3 Fear Aura —
6th +4 +3 +2 +3 Death Ward 2/day +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
7th +5 +4 +2 +4 Cheat Death +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
8th +6 +4 +3 +4 Avoid Death 2/day, Mantle of Life +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
9th +6 +5 +3 +5 Death Ward 3/day —
10th +7 +5 +3 +5 Nine Lives +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class

Sorry for poor formatting on the table... Here is a link to a Word document. https://app.box.com/s/5a0l55goq0tf4s0oo6ri

Human Paragon 3
2013-08-14, 09:47 PM
Hey there.

I played a Death Delver in a Tomb of Horrors game here on the forum a while back, and am now playing a version of that character in Return to the Tomb of Horrors on Myth Weavers. Since I've been playing one for... well... years now, I feel qualified to chime in on this topic.

I think your edits are OK for the most part, but I would consider a custom spell list. My character got into D.D. via druid and human paragon, so if he were to take this prestige class instead of the book prestige class, he would end up with no undead related spells!

I'm kind of weird, so I actually like the grab bag of strange abilities and half casting. That being said, I think the spellcasting of the death delver could and should be stronger than it is. Maybe allow them to add all spells of the necromancy school to their spell list if they don't already have access to them.

One ability you've taken away is Rebuke Undead. This is the most powerful class ability the death delver gets, and, again, if you enter this PrC in any way other than cleric, you wouldn't gain the ability to rebuke. I'd consider adding it back in.

I've also created a number of custom death delver spells if you're interested, as well as an epic progression for the delver which is pretty awesome.

Ultimate_Coffee
2013-08-17, 05:22 AM
Thank you for the reply Human Paragon...
I appreciate your input. The reason for the modification to the spell progression is that in 3.5 the Death Delver didn't mesh well with any base class. If it were a base class, then it may have worked, but you really couldn't pick anything good to go into it with as a Prestige Class. Now it works pretty well for Divine Casters.
I hadn't considered that if you enter with Druid, you may not have access to any Necromancy spells. I may add an adenedum to the spellcasting to add specific Necromancy/Undead type spells to your spell list if they are not already there. I may also require that you prepare/know so many necromancy spells as you level in the class.

As for Rebuke undead... That is a bit more complicated in Pathfinder. It is handled as a feat that uses Channel Energy. I suppose I could give them channel energy that progresses with other sources but is always negative energy even if it was positive before entering the class. Then giving the feat to rebuke undead... But it seems like if you entered with anything other than cleric, this would be too weak to be worth anything anyways... If I give it better progression however, it could become complicated if you enter the class with Cleric. Either way, in order to add it I would have to remove something to keep the class balanced.

Any suggestions?